I Need You
by tkijyahh
Summary: Blaine Anderson-Hummel is a hired assassin. He has been trying his best to keep his husband hidden from the family business and his enemies, but sometimes trying your best isn't enough.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Glee belongs to Fox**

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><p>Stepping over the fallen body on the rough cement, Blaine removed the mask that covered half his face and turned to the group behind him.<p>

"Clean this up."

Everyone scrambled to clear the bleeding mess before it permanently stained the floor as Blaine headed for the car parked fifty meters away. Pulling the door open, he settled himself in the passenger seat and closed his eyes, leaning his head backwards.

"Kurt called."

Snapping his eyes open, Blaine glanced at the Asian man seated beside him and then turned to look at the clock. It was one a.m.

"I told him that there was a technical glitch at the office and you needed to recover your files so he's not expecting you to be home yet."

"Thank you, Wes."

There was silence for a moment and no attempt to break it was made. The gunshots and cries from a few minutes ago were still ringing in Blaine's ears and resounded in his head, so the brief moment of tranquility was welcomed.

"How long do we have to keep this up?"

There was no reply, and Wes did not push it. Stepping down on the accelerator, he pulled them out of the dingy driveway and they faded into the darkness.

Another man's life was exchanged for the gold rolling into the Anderson's vault tonight.

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><p>Wes dropped Blaine off in front of a large European styled house that stood on a carefully manicured lawn. Blaine pushed the door open with caution, careful not to wake the occupant inside.<p>

As he entered the living room, he held his breath. Kurt Anderson-Hummel was curled up on the couch, beautiful as ever. Colorful images flickered across the television screen, but no sound escaped from the speakers.

Kneeling down beside his husband, Blaine gently brushed a stray strand of hair away from Kurt's face.

"Blaine?"

Kurt's eyelids fluttered, revealing breathtaking glasz orbs. Holding back a yawn, Kurt snuggled closer to Blaine and let out a contented sigh.

"I'm sorry I'm late, but you really didn't have to wait up."

"I just wanted to see you. You've been so busy that I've only caught a glimpse of you in days."

Maybe it was the tiny tremor in Kurt's voice, or the look of devotion and _longing_ in those eyes that made Blaine's heart clench painfully. It was true. For the past two weeks, he was out of the door before daybreak and back way after midnight. Guilt bubbled in Blaine's stomach as he pressed his lips against Kurt's cheeks.

"I'm sorry."

The only reply he received was the sound of deep breathing, and Blaine looked down to see that Kurt had dozed off again. Biting back a chuckle, Blaine slid an arm under Kurt's neck and another under his knees before carrying Kurt into their room.

Once they were settled in bed, Blaine felt Kurt wrap an arm around his torso as their legs intertwined. Closing his eyes, Blaine inhaled deeply. There it was: the scent that was so distinctively _Kurt_.

Lying back against the pillows, Blaine finally felt the tensed muscles that were making his body ache relax. _Finally_, he could get some peace tonight. There would be no demands to kill, no blood spilled, no screams, tears and bullets, just a soothing weight on his chest and the melody of their heartbeats and breathing to lull him to sleep.

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><p>When Blaine woke up, he was greeted by the rare sight of sunlight peeking out from behind the yellow curtains draped over the windows. Turning to his left, he realized that the bed was empty and for a moment, his heart stilled.<p>

_Where's Kurt?_

Throwing the comforter aside and stumbling out of bed, Blaine dashed down the stairs and skidded to a stop at the kitchen. Standing at the stove was a man in oversized clothes and an apron, swinging the spatula around as he sang along to the morning radio.

Blaine let out a breath he did not know he was holding. Staring at Kurt like he was the most gorgeous thing in the world, Blaine tried to etch this scene into his memory.

Perhaps waking up to a loved one preparing breakfast was something people took for granted, but definitely not Blaine. After waking up on countless mornings to missed calls and urgent e-mails, after spending so many breakfasts trying to finish his meal as quickly as possible, this will always be something Blaine will treasure.

After a minute or two, Kurt paused and looked over his right shoulder before spotting his curly-haired husband leaning casually against the doorway. Kurt lowered the spatula he was twirling and made his way over, wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck and joining their lips for a quick peck.

"Good morning, Mister Blaine Anderson-Hummel."

"Hearing you say that does things to me."

Sliding his hands down Kurt's back, Blaine gently rolled his hips against Kurt's and smirked as Kurt gave an involuntary moan.

"Blaine, it's our first breakfast together in two weeks."

"So…after breakfast?"

"After breakfast."

Giving Kurt another chaste kiss on the lips, Blaine led them to the table and fetched the pancakes sitting on the counter. Handling Kurt the maple syrup, breakfast was a quiet yet oddly intimate affair.

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><p>Blaine sat at the edge of the bed in awe. Kurt was standing in front of him, lifting his shirt to reveal porcelain skin that covered tone muscles. He was truly beautiful, yet no less masculine than the rest. After folding his shirt neatly, Kurt proceeded to tug at the elastic band of his pants, but Blaine rested a hand on his.<p>

Looking into each other's eyes, Blaine lowered himself onto the floor. Wrapping his arms around Kurt's waist, Blaine pressed his face against Kurt's thigh.

"I'm sorry that I haven't been spending much time with you, and I'm sorry if you've been feeling lonely in any way."

"Blaine-"

"Let me take care of you."

Kurt's breath hitched as Blaine wrapped his fingers around the silky material and dragged his hands down, revealing a pair of long, milky legs. As Blaine removed the last piece of clothing separating them, he was slowly lowered onto bed.

Glasz met hazel before Blaine began sucking on his neck weakly, then worked his way down, peppering Kurt's chest with kisses.

Rubbing their erections together, Kurt tried to stifle a moan.

"Ugh. Blaine, stop being a fucking tease."

Throwing Kurt a devious smirk, Blaine rolled his hips, only to have Kurt slapping his forearm playfully. Reaching for the bottle of lube on the bedside table, Blaine coated his fingers and nudged Kurt's legs apart.

Rubbing a calloused finger across Kurt's hole and then gently dipping a finger in, Blaine watched awestruck as Kurt's porcelain skin became beautifully flushed and his slender fingers gripped the sheets tightly.

After a moment, Blaine then inserted another finger, taking great care to stretch Kurt because the last time they had sex was over three weeks ago.

"I'm ready."

Rubbing his hands with more lube, Blaine proceeded to coat his dick with it. Lining himself up against Kurt's entrance, Blaine slowly pushed in, stopping every few seconds for Kurt to adjust.

Once their hips finally met, Blaine locked Kurt's lips in a heated kiss, his body shaking with the overpowering sensation of Kurt's heated channel wrapped around him, sucking him in.

"You…you can move now."

Starting off with slow thrusts, Blaine began to move faster as he matched their heavy breathing and breathy moans. When Kurt suddenly clenched down on him, the heat at the bottom of Blaine's stomach became too much and he screwed his eyes shut as his hips buckled.

They came together, Kurt arching his back as his toes curled and his fists tugged at the bedspread more forcefully.

Collapsing against his husband, Blaine buried his face in Kurt's neck.

"How did I live without that for three weeks?" Blaine wondered out loud as he rolled to the side.

"I am pretty irresistible, aren't I?"

Letting a laugh escape his parted lips, Blaine reached over and began jabbing his fingers playfully into Kurt's side.

"A tickle war, now? I want to lie in my post-coital bliss."

"Oh come on!"

"No. I want to cuddle."

…

"Don't look at me like that."

…

"Those puppy eyes aren't going to work."

…

"Oh fine."

"I knew it!"

"Shut up, Blaine. Let's get those fingers and stomach muscles working."

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><p>It was mid-afternoon, but the room was dark as the curtains were drawn. The buzzing of the phone forced Blaine out of slumber land and he tried to untangle himself from Kurt's embrace.<p>

_**Jeff**_

Biting back a groan, Blaine pushed himself out of bed. Pressing the green 'answer' button, he held the phone to his ear.

"Jeff, this really isn't a good time."

"_**It's never a good time but get your ass out of bed. Your old man wants to see you."**_

"Why?"

"_**Don't be a dickhead. You know why."**_

Jeff hung up, leaving Blaine standing in front of the vanity with an irritating beep in his ear.

Gripping the phone in his hand, Blaine clenched his jaw as he moved over to where his sleeping lover lay.

Brushing his cheeks lightly, Blaine felt the awfully familiar sensation of guilt bubble in his stomach. Kurt blinked sleepily, his hair in a mess as he turned to look at Blaine.

"How are you feeling, my love?"

"I have you here with me, so what do you think?"

As Blaine continued to rub his thumb over Kurt's cheeks, the phone buzzed again.

Kurt eyed the device with an odd expression before looking at Blaine.

"Do you really have to go?"

Blaine lowered his eyes and withdrew his hand.

"When will you be back?"

"I'll call you once we've settled everything."

Kurt swung his leg over the edge of the bed and planted his feet on the floor. Rubbing his eyes, Kurt gave an exasperated sigh, "Blaine, I know that you're leading the group in a big project, but don't you think that you're doing…too much work?"

"My love, I'm sorry. But the office is going to expand to New York and that takes a lot of planning. Everyone is pulling all-nighters to get things done on time. I promise that I'll try to find an easier job once I'm done with this, alright?"

Kurt bit his lip, feeling a little ashamed for informing his exhausted husband of his displeasure, but he was tired of coming home to an empty house and sleeping alone.

There was a moment of tensed silence before Kurt finally sighed, "Be safe, okay? I'll be waiting for you."

Blaine smiled weakly, lifting Kurt's knuckles to his lips.

"I will. I'll be home ASAP. I know this is tiring, but I love you Kurt, and I want to provide you with the best."

"I love you too."

Giving Kurt a final kiss, Blaine grabbed the first suit in the closet and headed for the washroom.

Flopping down on bed, Kurt closed his eyes.

"But I just want you here with me."

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you for reading. I'm still writing this fic so I'll be updating weekly or bi-weekly. If there's any advice for improvement or anything you'd like to share, do feel free to leave a review, PM me or drop me a message on Tumblr or Livejournal (I'm still tkijyahh there). Oh, and I'm writing another fic which I posted less than a day ago. It's called Thank You. Here's the summary: **_He's going on one last date with Blaine, and then everything is going to end. But when he looks at Blaine, Kurt realizes that it doesn't matter how much he wants to put a stop to his chaotic life - he can't let Blaine get hurt. _**If you're interested, that fic will be updated every 2-3 days (or maybe daily) and it'll be 4 chapters long. It's my first fic so I've kept it short in case anyone would like me to change my writing style and stuff.**

**Once again, thanks for taking the time to read this.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Glee belongs to Fox**

**Warnings:**

**Please take note that in this story, Blaine and a few of the ex-Warblers are assassins so there will be murders involved. OCs have been created to play the role of their 'victims' so there's no major character deaths (or at least, I've yet to write any), but this story will still contain murder and death scenes even though they will not be too sanguinary.**

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><p>Stepping out of the sleek black sedan, Blaine looked at the glass building with distaste. Adjusting his tie, he stepped through the automatic doors and gave a receptionist a tired smile.<p>

"Mister Anderson is on the twentieth floor. He says that he wishes to speak to you about new proposals for the expansion."

Blaine simply nodded and gave her a charming "thank you". Entering the lift, his finger hovered over the metallic button engraved with the number twenty before he pressed down on it heavily and glared at the name plate beside it.

_**President's Office**_

_**Authorized Personnel Only**_

The doors opened much too soon and Blaine felt all hopes of escaping, all hopes of turning away and returning to his husband's arms fade when Jeff's face came into view.

"You didn't need to take the trouble to pick me up."

"I wanted to. It's less daunting walking down these corridors with someone familiar and _friendlier._ So, you're back from your one day-"

"Half day."

"You're being an ass. Fine, so you're back from your half-day vacation and romantic rendezvous with Kurt. How did it go?"

"It was perfect until some idiot with strange looking hair called me. Honestly Jeff, letting him wait another three hours wouldn't kill him."

"Daddy dearest may not die, but I will. Oh look, we're here. Good luck."

With a pat on Blaine's back, Jeff turned and headed back towards the lift, leaving Blaine feeling quite alone as he stood in front of the large wooden doors.

Just as he reached for the bell, the doors swung open to reveal a bespectacled, stern-looking yet stunning lady whose features softened a little when she saw Blaine.

"Good afternoon, Charlotte."

She nodded but did not reply. Stepping aside, she quickly closed the doors once Blaine stepped into the room.

There, near the east end of the large room was a mahogany desk that held no pictures, no trophies or anything else to give anyone a hint of who the man seated behind it might be.

Apart from his slightly smaller stature, there was no resemblance between Edgar Anderson and Blaine Anderson-Hummel.

No attempts at formalities were made. The cold man simply threw a thin folder on the table and Blaine picked it up without sparing his father a glance.

Edgar was staring out the window when Blaine broke the silence.

"She's a kid."

He didn't turn around and simply gave a monotonous reply, "I know."

"You want me to kill a child."

Finally, Edgar looked at Blaine and stood up.

"A job is a job. That's nine hundred thousand dollars into the bank once she's dead."

Blaine closed the folder and matched his father's gaze, determined to keep the tremor out of his voice as he spoke evenly, "She's eight. She's an innocent elementary school student, not some whore who tore a rich bloke's family apart. There's no reason for her to die."

There was a pause and Edgar spoke with finality, "Nine hundred thousand. Don't forget the agreement we had, Blaine. If you want me to keep Kurt and his family away from all this, you'll do as I say."

With that, the conversation was over. Blaine found himself standing outside Edgar's office, his jaws and fists trembling with rage. Taking the stairs down to the nineteenth floor, he walked into a room where another seven men were waiting for him.

Taking one look at him, David stood up from the armchair and made his way over.

"Hey, what happened?"

Shoving the folder into David's chest, Blaine lowered himself into an empty seat.

"You're kidding."

He shot David a dirty look as the eight of them sat around the table in his office.

"Chloe June Montfort. She turned eight in November and she's the daughter of some dude who owns a petroleum refining company."

Thad was scanning through the folder, reading out random facts to anyone who was listening. No one dared to speak as they stared at the picture of their next target lying in the middle of the table.

Nick gripped his pants and stuttered, "Blaine…we can't do this. If we do succeed, I'll…I'll never be able to look at myself again."

Blaine buried his face in his hands and felt the expectant stares of everyone around him. He was their leader. He was the reason they were dragged into this in the first place. He was the reason they spent their post-graduation trip learning how to kill.

"Where's Kurt?" Sebastian's voice sliced through the stiff silence like a knife and they gave him varying looks of confusion.

"He's waiting for me, for us to come home."

The effect Kurt had on the ex-Warblers was immediate. He was the only one in their tight-knit group that continued to live a normal life, and they struggled to protect that normality.

With a bang of the gravel, Wes announced, "Well, this meeting is adjourned until further notice. Let's get to work."

"I can't believe you kept that gravel. Do you sleep with it as well?"

"Jeffrey, you'll be helping me during target practice."

Sebastian gave Jeff a slap on the back and sniggered, "You're in deep shit."

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><p>Kurt had just picked up the pencil and started on a rough sketch of the evening gown when he was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. Mercedes did not wait for a reply before pushing it open and poking her head through the gap.<p>

"White boy, you're supposed to be on a one-day break."

Setting the pencil back on the desk, Kurt gestured for Mercedes to take a sit. As soon as she was settled down, he leaned back heavily on the armchair and muttered, "I know, but Blaine had to get back to work and I was alone in that big house."

Looking at him sympathetically, Mercedes struggled to find something to say.

"Mercedes, there's nothing to worry about. This just leaves us more time for our lady chats."

"My door's always open if you're looking for some company."

Kurt gave Mercedes a grateful smile. After high school, she had surprised him by following him to Parsons to study fashion and design in New York. Now, nearly seven years after they graduated from McKinley, they were best friends and colleagues.

"Before I forget, some lady by the name of Irene Maya wants to see you. I heard that she's getting married next month."

Glancing at the clock, Kurt noted that it was three o'clock. Hoping that Blaine remembered to have his lunch, Kurt gathered his things and stood up.

Hooking her arm around his, the duo made their way to the lobby where a young blonde was seated in one of the purple chairs.

"Congratulations on your upcoming wedding."

The lady gave Kurt a faint smile and crossed her legs elegantly. Trying to make small talk, Kurt continued, "So will you be changing your last name when you get married?"

Tucking a strand behind her ear with perfectly manicured fingers, Irene Maya replied, "Maybe I will. Irene Montfort has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

After Kurt gave her a polite nod, she folded her hands and laid them on her knee. "Well Mister Anderson-Hummel, let's not waste too much time. I'll be marrying someone with a…significant social status, to say the least, and will be attending an important ceremony with him in three months. I need a black gown that will live up to the occasion."

Flipping his planner open, Kurt began jotting down notes as the future Missus Irene Montfort gave him more details of her ideal ceremonial dress.

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><p>"So, Chloe's dad will be getting married next month and she has to be dead in two and a half months, no more, no less."<p>

Trent continued scrolling down the fifty-page document with a frown. Looking through your targets' personal documents was always hard, especially when it seemed that there was no real reason for anyone to want them dead.

Nick pushed himself up from the carpeted floor he was lying on and bit his lip.

"Blaine…?"

Blaine tore his eyes away from the pile of photographs strewn across the table and looked at Nick expectantly. Nick hesitated for a brief moment, wringing his fingers nervously.

"I…I know that we're doing this to protect Kurt, and you know that I'll do anything for all of you, but is there a way out of this? I mean…we've been working for your dad for almost four years and I should have gotten used to it, but sometimes I just want us to go back to _before._"

Blaine tensed and Thad immediately sprung up, "Look, Blaine, there's no need to stress over it. We'll just get the job done and you'll do what you need to do. You'll definitely figure a way-"

"I don't know."

Thad froze in mid-sentence and looked at Blaine stupidly.

"What?"

"I'm working on it, but I honestly don't know how to break away. My family has been in this for generations and my father has been keeping me on a tight leash. I have nothing to work against him while he has Kurt."

The last time they held this discussion was two years ago after an order came in for them to end a fellow Dalton alumna's family. The discussion was long and tensed, resulting in three broken cups and a stained couch. It was something that was always at the back of their minds, but no one wanted to speak about it.

"Look, this whole thing is fucked up okay? But we'll work things out. Now let's put our pea-brains together and figure a way to get this job done. I don't know about you, but I'm going to try my best to keep Kurt away from all this shit or die trying."

There was an awkward silence as everyone stared at Jeff in awe.

"I never knew that you were so wise."

Throwing a cushion in Trent's direction, Jeff tried to hide the blush that was making its way up his collar and coloring his cheeks.

Before he knew what was happening, Blaine found himself in the middle of a tight group-hug made up of eight fully-grown men. The air was getting squeezed out of his lungs but he didn't want to let go.

"In the words o' Jeff the Brilliant, we'll 'get this shit done'. Chloe studies at Bethany's School, a private school for girls. So Blaine, what are your orders?" David finally managed to ask after untangling himself and dusting his suit.

"We'll meet there next Tuesday at two. I know that she's our next target, but she's a child and I want to at least grant her a peaceful death."

Loosening his tie, Blaine straightened himself and waved the group away.

"I'll take care of the rest. You guys deserve a break."

As the ex-Warblers left, Blaine turned to look at the framed portrait on the table. It was a simple picture of the ex-Warblers and previous members of the New Directions who had gathered together after their high school graduation ceremonies.

It was a simple photograph that held the smiles he could never get back.

It was the smiles they had before that night when they were dragged into a world of blood, money and lies.

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you for reading! If there's any advice you'd like to give me or anything you'd like to share, please leave a review, PM or drop me a message on Tumblr or Livejournal (my username remains the same).**

**Thank you for the lovely reviews!**

**To ****Holding On To You****: Thanks for the tip! I'll keep it in mind. I'm trying to stick to consistent updates every 2-4 days (I hope that's alright with everyone) or at the very most weekly/bi-weekly when the exams start (School hasn't started yet, so that will probably only happen 2-3 months from now). Changing POVs is also a really great idea. I'll try to add it into future chapters. Oh, and I don't mind long reviews at all. Thank you for taking the trouble to write them.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Glee belongs to Fox**

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><p>Blaine returned the next evening to see Kurt sitting in the middle of a dozen magazines laid out on the floor.<p>

"Kurt?"

Kurt jumped before lifting his head to look at the door. Once he spotted Blaine, the startled look on his face melted almost immediately. Beaming, he placed the magazine that was on his lap carefully into an empty space beside him.

"You're early. Have you had dinner yet?"

Shaking his head, Blaine undid his tie and replied, "Well, no. I was hoping that we could go out for dinner. What do you say, Mister Anderson-Hummel? Will you join me for a date tonight?"

Kurt gave a delighted squeal and jumped into his arms, squeezing Blaine in a tight embrace that he returned with equal enthusiasm. After nearly three years of marriage, they were no longer nervous but still felt the warm feeling of _happiness_ whenever they set aside time to go out together.

Kurt soon found himself buckling the seatbelt as he sat comfortably next to Blaine in the darkness of their car. Blaine fiddled with the radio for a moment before it came to stop at a channel that played music from the 2000s.

Holding Kurt's hand in his on the armrest between their chairs, they began singing long just like they did back in the Glee club, back when everyone still stuck together despite the many relationship troubles and ridiculous rumors that plagued the high school corridors.

When they pulled up at the parking lot, Blaine hurried over to Kurt's side and held the door open for him. Sliding their fingers between each other's, the couple made their way up the steps and into the dimly lit restaurant.

"I've made a reservation for two under the name Anderson-Hummel."

A waiter approached them and led them to a quiet table tucked in the corner. After placing their orders, Kurt and Blaine began updating each other on their past few weeks (well, Kurt talked and Blaine listened).

"I mean, I think it's a little unusual but she specifically ordered a completely black gown that will be able to show the others that she's of a higher social standing, yet not one that's ostentatious."

Blaine lowered the glass that he was holding and chuckled at the puzzled expression on Kurt's face.

"What's her name?"

"Well, she's Irene Maya now, but after she gets married next month she'll probably change her name to Irene Montfort."

Everything froze. Blaine felt his heart drop as he remembered the significance of that name.

_Shit._

"Blaine? What's wrong?"

When Kurt rested a hand on his arm, Blaine gave a startled jolt. He struggled to remain composed and gave Kurt a tight smile, "Nothing. That name just reminded me of an old…acquaintance."

Pressing his lips together in concern, Kurt nodded but kept the lingering questions to himself. When the food arrived, he tried to brush any uneasiness aside and focused on the fact that despite his heavy workload, Blaine had returned home early and even made reservations for dinner.

He might be hiding something, but Kurt hoped that knowing that his husband loves him will be enough.

* * *

><p>Sitting in a van with a broken air-conditioner in the early autumn heat was definitely not something Blaine wanted to do, but nevertheless he found himself squashed in said van with three other ex-Warblers and it was getting on his nerves.<p>

"This is garbage. Why are we dying of heatstroke in this stupid tin can opposite a _private _girls' school anyway? Shouldn't we be driving something else?"

"We're supposed to be random delivery men, you moron. And to think I called you 'brilliant' last week," David snapped as he flicked the corner of Jeff's ear. Slapping his hand away, Jeff moved closer to Nick who was looking out of the window.

Lifting a finger to tug his sleeve, Jeff whined, "So Nicky, do you see anything yet?"

Not bothering to entertain Jeff with a reply, Nick continued to press his nose up against the glass as he looked around for any signs of Chloe June Montfort. The humidity in the stuffy van was starting to irritate him and he desperately wanted to leave.

He glanced at Blaine who was slouching in the driver's seat, exhaustion rolling off his shoulders but his eyes still wide opened and focused.

Biting his lip, Nick looked away and squinted through the glass. Finally, the girl in the photographs appeared at the gates.

Turning to his teammates, Nick announced, "I think I see her."

Blaine immediately straightened himself and turned the ignition on, moving the vehicle a little closer.

After a couple of minutes, Chloe finally followed another girl dressed in the same uniform into a chauffeured car.

"Well, it appears that she follows her friend home. I hate to say it, but it looks like this job will be much easier than the last one," David observed.

Keeping his eyes on the car as it moved down the road and finally out of sight, Blaine ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "I think Kurt has met her future stepmother."

If not for the seriousness of the situation, Blaine might have laughed at the way his friends' eyes widened as their jaws dropped.

"But…how?"

Stepping on the accelerator and driving them back to the office, Blaine replied, "The soon-to-be Irene Montfort has asked Kurt to design a black gown and have it completed in three months."

"But…why black? And what's the point of having it done in three months?" Jeff wondered aloud.

A sharp intake of breath was heard and everyone turned to look at Nick who had turned alarmingly pale.

"A funeral."

When everyone continued to give him puzzled looks, Nick pressed on, "She wants a black gown in three months. Chloe will be dead half a month prior to that."

Reality slapped them like an ice-berg and Blaine slammed down on the brakes.

David rubbed his eyes and groaned, "We're so screwed."

Finally gathering up his courage, Nick asked, "Is…is Kurt seeing her now?"

Jeff ran a hand down his face a muttered, "Scratch that. We're fucking screwed."

Starting the car again, Blaine turned the radio up and gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Finally pulling up in front of the familiar glass building, he got out of the car without another word.

* * *

><p>"Why yes, I am quite fond of this Chinese inspired gown. I hope that the deadline isn't too rushed for you."<p>

Closing his laptop, Kurt ran his eyes over Irene Maya who was seated in front of him in his office.

"We'll definitely have it done before that. We can start taking your measurements the day after tomorrow when Mercedes is around."

Irene gave him a subtle nod and returned to take a closer look at the various designs Kurt had finished sketching earlier that morning. While she may have appeared to be a little strange when they first met, Kurt realized that hanging around her was comfortable. It will never beat the cozy familiarity he had with his girlfriends in the New Directions, but it was comforting to know that he had another female close by apart from Mercedes whom he could talk to.

"What's your future husband like?"

Irene stopped and took a sip of tea before leaning back on the armchair.

"He was married and he has a daughter who means the world to him. Honestly, he's planning on leaving everything he has to an elementary school student."

There was a pause and Kurt took a closer look at his client. Maybe the lights were playing tricks on him, but he could swear that a strange look of _jealousy_ flickered across those eyes of electric blue.

"But I am his wife-to-be, so I hope that I'll be able to talk some sense into him."

Unfolding her slender legs, Irene stood up and glanced at the watch on her tiny wrist.

"Well Kurt, I really must be going. But will you be so kind as to join me for dinner this Friday night? If it makes you more comfortable, you may bring your partner along. I would like to thank you for the effort you've put into this."

Kurt hesitated. He didn't want to go for dinner alone, but Blaine was hardly ever home and his schedule was unpredictable. Scratching his neck awkwardly, he replied, "I'll have to ask my husband so I'll get back to you tonight."

Irene simply nodded and before Kurt knew it, the door was swinging shut and he was standing in the middle of his office alone.

A recording of _Perfect_ played from the speakers of the phone lying on the desk and Kurt immediately reached over to answer it.

"Blaine?"

"_**Good afternoon love. When can you get off from work?"**_

"I can leave anytime."

"_**Great. You can join us for an early dinner. We'll pick you up in twenty."**_

"Wait…us?"

A new voice rang through the speakers and a handful of shushing noises were heard.

"_**Hell yes! We haven't seen you in ages!"**_

Covering his mouth with his hand, Kurt tried to stifle a laugh before agreeing and hanging up. After a month, it was time for a Warbler reunion with nine of the ex-members.

Packing his bag, Kurt took the lift down to the lobby and stood at the pick-up area, looking out for the two cars packed with the eight overgrown teenagers. When they finally arrived, Kurt opened the door and slid into the passenger seat beside Blaine.

Kurt had just closed the door when Jeff spoke up from the driver's seat, "Kurtie, can we please go to Pasta House? Please? There's an all-you-can-eat pasta buffet for eight ninety nine."

Resting his head on Blaine's shoulder, Kurt gave his consent and watched as Jeff began bouncing in his seat.

"Is it safe for him to drive?"

Trent gave a snort and folded his hands behind his head.

"Don't worry. He may be…really active and have a potty mouth, but he's actually a decent driver."

Nick nodded in agreement from the front of the car and looked away when Jeff feigned a look of hurt and disappointment.

"Anyway, Irene came by again today. We've finalized the design so we can start taking measurements soon."

Jeff's bouncing stopped and Trent fidgeted in his seat. Sensing the sudden change in atmosphere, Kurt looked around in confusion and bit his lip.

"Is everything alright?"

Blaine slid an arm around Kurt's waist and pulled him closer, whispering into his ear, "Of course."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

I have to say this. I've just written the Warbler's backstory (it's in Chapter 6) and I feel like a complete _**jerk**_ (for the record, there's no major character death). I apologize about 6 days in advance for whatever I've done.

I'm new to the world of ff writing, so I would like to ask your opinions about this. Should this ff be classified under 'angst' as well? I don't know how 'angsty' a ff is supposed to be before it's labeled as such so yeah, if you do have any suggestions, do leave a review or PM me!

Once again, thank you for reading! I would like to extend a special thanks to reviewers. Thank you for taking the time to write them.

To AnnLuc: Thank you so much! I've read a few fics by experienced authors who managed to give Blaine his own character, but I'm a novice so I'll be sticking to his character in Glee. I'm glad that you like it!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Glee belongs to Fox**

* * *

><p>Kurt soon found himself sitting in the middle of eight men with at least five of them involved in some kind of food fight. It all started when David stole a meatball from Thad's plate and Jeff decided to follow suit.<p>

"This is a little embarrassing," Nick whispered as he pressed himself closer to Kurt's side.

Picking up a shrimp with his fork, Kurt dipped it into the yogurt dressing before taking another bite.

"It may be embarrassing, but it's also entertaining. It reminds me of the food fight back at McKinley, although this is much milder than that. I finally understand why everyone in the cafeteria was so enthusiastic about it."

As another spoonful of pasta flew past his ear, Nick ducked and eyed him doubtfully.

Giving Nick a friendly smile, Kurt returned his attention to the salad in front of him. Wes, who had remained quiet for most of the meal, finally cleared his throat and asked, "So Kurt is everything alright at work?"

Silence descended upon the table and everyone stopped to look at him. Feeling a little awkward, Kurt nodded and shoved a cube of honeydew into his mouth.

"As I've said earlier, we've decided on a design so all we have to do is make the gown itself. Irene's actually a really nice lady. She even invited me and Blaine for dinner."

Choking on his spaghetti, Blaine took a sip of water and looked at Kurt incredulously.

"I've yet to give her an answer, but I was hoping that you'll agree."

The ex-Warblers exchanged nervous glances and Thad commented, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why?" Kurt asked, looking perplexed.

David, ever the terrible liar, struggled to find something to say before giving up, "It's complicated."

A strange heat bubbled in Kurt's stomach and he set his fork down before crossing his arms, looking around expectantly. They were hiding something. They have always been hiding something and he was tired of it.

Taking another sip, Blaine began, "We have been in contact with the Montforts for a while and you shouldn't get too close to them. They have been involved in a few questionable activities."

"That's ridiculous. I can take care of myself, and why should I stay away simply because you're being paranoid?"

Resting a hand on Kurt's lap, Blaine reasoned, "Of course you can take care of yourself. We just don't want you to get hurt."

Pushing Blaine's hand away, Kurt muttered, "Well, it's a little too late."

"Kurt?"

"I said that it's too late. Look, you've been hiding something, and I'm the only one who knows absolutely nothing. I'm not some damsel in distress, and the only thing that's hurting me is having a group of people I love lie to me."

Jeff sputtered, "Dude, that's not what we meant. We just don't want you to get involved in any crap."

With an irritated sigh, Kurt grabbed his bag and stood up.

"I'll take a cab home."

Not a word was said when he left the tiny restaurant.

Groaning and squeezing his eyes shut in frustration, Kurt stood along the side of the road.

_They work for the same company. There are things that have to be kept confidential. _

He knew that, but it still hurt. It hurt that they would stay away for weeks at a time and return home so mentally and physically drained but he was helpless because they refused to tell him _anything._

He remembered that night two years ago when Blaine returned home with the other Warblers. It was the first time he had seen them so angry and lost, and he was so worried when Nick spent the next day curled up at Jeff's side, refusing to speak to anyone.

Kurt had never felt more useless.

When a yellow cab approached, he lifted his arm and waited for it to slow to a stop. Entering the car without another thought, Kurt felt the frustration drain from his shoulders only to be replaced by exhaustion.

Back at the diner, no one made any attempt to eat. Blaine buried his face in his hands and remained hunched over the table. Trying to lighten the atmosphere, Trent began, "Look, it'll be fine. He'll come around and-"

"That's not it. Apart from the fact that we've really upset him, Kurt is helping some lady design a gown for her stepdaughter's funeral, for a funeral of a girl we're supposed to kill because she wants us to. Now they may be hanging out for _dinner_." As soon as David realized what he had just said, he slapped a hand over his mouth and gave Blaine a cautious glance.

Blaine still refused to look at anyone as he groaned. Giving him a pat on the back, Sebastian took the keys from the table and said, "Come on. I'll drive you home. The rest of them can squeeze in the back of Thad's car."

Blaine lifted his head and pushed himself off the seat, wondering how long he could keep Kurt in the dark. It was starting to take a toll on them, and maybe even their relationship as well.

* * *

><p>Just as Kurt entered the living room, he received a text message from an old friend.<p>

**Hey lady lips, Brittany and I are in town for the night.**

Kurt smiled. Santana was still as bitchy as ever. Leaving his bag on the table, Kurt flopped himself down on the couch and scrolled through his contact list, coming to a stop at _**Santana – Queen Bitch**_.

Santana picked up almost immediately, a smirk evident in her voice, _**"I knew that you'd call."**_

Kurt couldn't hold back a laugh and sighed, "Well, I hate to admit it, but I might have missed you."

"_**Dolphin, are you alright?"**_ a muffled voice came from the speakers.

Not having the strength to lie, Kurt tried to keep the tears out of his voice as he told them the truth. _No_, he was not alright and _yes_ he wanted some company.

With almost no hesitation, Santana declared, _**"We're going to the only decent bar in town, and we're going to drown your sorrow. Now pull on some leather and meet us there in thirty."**_ She hung up without waiting for a reply, leaving Kurt feeling quite lost as he stared at the phone. After almost ten years of a…unique friendship, he still found it hard to keep up with the ex-Cheerios, but he loved them for it.

After changing his clothes and sending Blaine a text, Kurt found himself on the way to _Equinox_.

* * *

><p>Blaine felt the vibration of his phone as he pulled it out of the pocket. After reading Kurt's message, he turned to Sebastian and said "He's going to the bar."<p>

Looking at him from the corner of his eye, Sebastian noticed that Blaine wasn't in the mood for any partying, but he didn't want Kurt to go alone.

"Look, I'll keep him company. You can just get yourself tucked in bed or something. Honestly Blaine, you look like you need five years of sleep. Just looking at you is making me tired."

As Blaine turned to study the man beside him, he couldn't believe that this was the same obnoxious guy with a _'sneaky little meerkat face' _who didn't know the meaning of being in a relationship and annoyed him to no end.

Blaine didn't know what happened, but for some reason Sebastian finally stopped pursuing him and even apologized. He had been doubtful of the sudden change but after years of working together, Sebastian had earned his trust.

"Thank you. But don't drink and drive."

"Yes _mother_."

They pulled up in front of the letter box and Blaine stepped out of the car. Giving Blaine a wave, Sebastian reversed out of the driveway. Gripping the steering wheel, he turned down the next street until he came to a stop in front of the up-town bar. There was a full house tonight, and Sebastian cringed as he pushed himself through the smoky crowd standing at the door.

Giving a quick look around the room, he caught sight of the ex-Cheerios sitting at the table with five empty bottles and three glasses. Trying to squeeze his way across, Sebastian heaved a sigh of relief when he finally reached their table.

"Well, if it isn't Sebastian the Crab."

Trying not to wince, Sebastian gave them a pained smile and lowered himself into an empty seat.

Ordering another glass and three more bottles, Santana folded her arms and remarked, "I have no idea why, but something about your face continues to annoy me."

Sebastian opened his mouth to give a retort but before he could do that, Brittany removed the bottle she was sucking on with a 'pop' and asked, "What happened to baby gay?"

"I don't know the details, but I'm here to keep an eye on him and bring him home."

Santana threw him a look of disgust and snapped, "That's bullshit. We're not stupid. Something's not right in the Gay Heaven of Nine Men and it's getting to him." Jabbing her thumb behind her, Sebastian looked over her shoulder to see Kurt dancing wildly in the crowd.

"What-"

"Dolphin finished a whole bottle of tequila and then headed for the dance floor."

Standing up immediately, Sebastian walked over and tried to get closer to Kurt. Pushing Kurt away from the man he was grinding against, Sebastian threw an arm over his shoulders and led him to a quieter corner.

Kurt tried to fight him off, but the alcohol in his system made him uncoordinated so he ended up pushing against Sebastian's chest weakly.

"For God's sake Kurt, sit down. I think you've had enough."

Finally finding his strength, Kurt shoved Sebastian away and glared at him, "What are you doing here? I don't need you to babysit me."

As he tried to return to the dancing crowd, Sebastian gripped his shoulder tightly and turned him around to face him.

"Look Kurt, I can't say much but we care about you. Blaine loves you, we love you. Hell, we'll throw our lives on the line for you. We're a family."

"Well maybe it's time you started treating me like an equal. Despite my nickname, I'm not made of porcelain."

Keeping his hand on Kurt's shoulder, Sebastian dropped his head and pleaded, "We never wanted to make you feel that way. There are things we cannot say but please, please don't ever think that we look down on you."

Looking at the man before him, Kurt bit his lip as an unfathomable rush of guilt overwhelmed him. They had enough on their shoulders, and now he was becoming an additional burden. Letting Sebastian lead him back to Santana and Brittany, he collapse heavily into a chair and remained silent.

Santana narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips while Brittany perked up when they returned.

"You're back! Dolphin, someone called while you were away but I couldn't hear her clearly so I just said 'yes' when she asked me something."

Reaching out for his phone, Kurt gave Brittany a fond smile and shook his head, looking through his recent phone calls.

There, right at the top of the list was an incoming call from Irene Maya.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Thank you for reading (and a big, big thank you for taking the time to review and putting this on story alert!)

To anime4youandme: Thank you! I'm aiming to stick to consistent updates =) Oh and I hope that this chapter answers your question.

This ff is now labeled as 'angst' and I hope it lives up to that. I did say in Chapter 2 that I'll attempt to write in first person POV and I'm currently testing that out. I really admire all authors who managed to write them; it's much more challenging than I thought it would be.

_Equinox _is actually a real bar in the country where I live in but I'm just burrowing the name. No copyright infringement intended.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Glee belongs to Fox**

**Whole sentences in italics represent the character's thoughts.**

**This is a strange request, but please don't hit me.**

To vampire author va: Thank you for your reviews! Your prediction came somewhat true in the last chapter.

* * *

><p>Kurt stared at his husband's back as he sat at the edge of the bed. They had another five minutes to make any final changes before heading out for dinner.<p>

Blaine was adjusting his bowtie when Kurt came up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist. Resting his cheek on Blaine's shoulder, Kurt closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.

"I know I've said it before, but I'm sorry for acting the way I did after dinner that day."

Removing himself from Kurt's embrace, Blaine turned around and cupped Kurt's cheeks in his hands. Giving him a kiss at the corner of his mouth, Blaine whispered lovingly, "And I've told you that there's no need for you to apologize. We shouldn't be making you feel left out, and I'm sorry that we did."

Kurt felt his heart melt as he saw a tiny reflection of himself in Blaine's warm eyes.

After returning from the bar, Kurt had barely touched the doorknob when the door flew open to reveal his frantic husband standing behind it. Blaine reached out to take his hand but then decided against it and stepped aside to allow him to enter instead.

Giving Sebastian a quick word of thanks, Blaine shut the door and sat at the other end of the couch. The silence in the room was palpable, and both of them struggled to break it.

Kurt finally reached over and grabbed Blaine's hand as he apologized.

He was sorry for being a diva, he was sorry for dancing with other men at the bar but most of all, he was sorry for hurting them.

When he stopped to take a breath, Blaine grabbed his face and pressed their lips together. No words were required. It was obvious.

_It's not your fault._

_I love you._

Holding hands as they descended the stairs and made their way to the car, Blaine wondered out loud, "When did we agree to dinner?"

Giving him a playful shove, Kurt replied, "I've told you. Brittany was being helpful and held my phone for me while I was…away…partying." He bit out the last word guiltily, lowering his gaze to the ground. Blaine gave his hand a gentle squeeze and Kurt lifted his head to look at him.

"Stop worrying, Kurt. We know why you did that. We'll just have to spend our time having dinner with a lady I've never met."

Reaching out to give Blaine's bowtie a final tug, Kurt whispered in his ear, "Yes, but you love dressing up for the occasion."

Blaine threw his head back and laughed as he held the door open for Kurt. Moving round the hood to enter the car, Blaine wiggled in his seat and switched the GPS on.

"_La Rive Gauche_? I've never heard of that place."

Buckling his seatbelt and dusting his pants, Kurt looked at Blaine and chuckled, "_La Rive Gauche_, Blaine. It's French. Your pronunciation is terrible."

"I took Spanish to be with the other guys while we were at McKinley, remember?"

Kurt hummed in reply and the couple made their way to the posh French restaurant further up north.

Of course he remembered. Blaine had just transferred and he was trying to fit in with the other kids in the Glee club. Taking Spanish with the guys seemed like the most logical thing to do, so they spent a whole year of language lessons on different sides of the building.

"Maybe I should have taken French. I could've asked you to tutor me."

"And you could have saved yourself the embarrassment when we were in France for our honeymoon."

Blaine looked at Kurt and pretended to look offended, biting his lips and bringing out his 'puppy eyes' card. Kurt took one look at him and quickly turned away. Blaine's puppy eyes was something he was still not immune to.

"Kurt, why aren't you looking at me?"

"Oh shush. Keep your eyes on the road."

* * *

><p>When the waiter led them to a private room in the old Victorian-styled building, Blaine felt the tension in his chest rise.<p>

"Blaine?"

Blaine flinched and tried to give Kurt a comforting smile. Kurt opened his mouth to ask more questions but before he could do so, a little girl with dark hair ran up to them and beamed.

"Are you Mister and Mister Anderson-Hummel?"

Blaine could have sworn that he stopped breathing.

_Crap. Crap. Crap._

Trying to maintain a neutral expression, Blaine bent down and gave her a sweet smile before replying, "Yes. And who might this young lady be?"

She giggled and began shuffling her feet, her head bowed as a blush rose to her cheeks.

"I'm Chloe."

She reached out and took their hands before leading them through the doors and into a brightly lit room. Seated at the round table was a lady with diamonds on her neck and ears.

Irene stood up to greet them, showing off the high silt on her thigh.

"Good evening Kurt. You must be Blaine."

Kurt went up to give her a kiss on the cheek while Blaine felt his chest tighten uncomfortably.

_She wants her dead. She wants her stepdaughter dead. We're going to have dinner with a murderer._

"Blaine?"

Breaking out of his daze at Kurt's voice, Blaine forced his lips to turn into a smile before moving over to greet her. That's when it slammed into him like a pile of breaks.

_**I'm **__going to kill her._

He had been trying to avoid this for so long. He knew that it was the truth but he never wanted to accept it. No matter how much he lied to himself, the fact remains: He's a killer.

_She's going to die because of me._

Sitting between Chloe and Kurt, Blaine felt his stomach squirm. The little girl to his left was playing with her fork, her tongue sticking out between her lips.

"Chloe, what did I say about playing with the silverware at the dining table?"

Startled, she dropped it and apologized, "I'm sorry mama."

Irene lifted the glass of wine to the lips and took a sip. When she lowered the glass, she turned to them and said, "I've placed our orders in advance. I hope that's alright with you."

Blaine remained silent while he watched them strike up a conversation.

"Where's your future husband? I would love to meet him."

"He's working. But I must say that your husband is very good looking."

Kurt smiled proudly and wrapped his arm around Blaine's. They continued talking about various new fashion lines while Blaine listened and contributed from time to time.

"Mister Anderson-Hummel?"

Chloe was looking at Blaine with a curious expression and when he turned to look at her, she smiled.

"Do you like fashion too?"

Blaine tried to come up with a reply despite knowing that it was a terrible idea. Getting close to your targets was probably one of the silliest things to do, but Blaine found himself talking to the little girl throughout dinner.

About halfway through their meal, Chloe swallowed a spoonful of mashed potatoes and said, "Daddy is rarely home, and I miss mommy a whole lot. But mama makes him happy, so I'll be alright." She was looking at Irene wistfully, and once in a while Irene would look her way and give her a tender smile.

Blaine felt his fingers curl into a fist as he looked at Irene. He wanted to reach over and throttle her, make her see what a beautiful girl Chloe was and how outrageous it was to even _think_ of hurting her. He mustered up his courage and asked, "Do you like her?"

"I think so. Daddy was really sad when mommy left with another man. I tried to make him happy but nothing worked. When he met mama, he started laughing again."

Blaine nodded and took another bite of his beef stew.

_I can't do it._

"Your husband is very pretty, in a manly way."

His hands shivered as he reached over to pat her soft dark hair.

_I can't._

* * *

><p>"Whoa, you look like shit."<p>

Blaine slammed the door shut and threw his briefcase onto the couch.

"Call me crazy, but Jeff's right. What happened to you?" David asked as he moved aside to leave a seat for Blaine.

"Dinner happened."

"Well, how did it go? Did evil Lady Tremaine keep her claws away from Kurt?"

Trent looked up from his laptop and deadpanned, "Thad, are you seriously bringing Cinderella into this?"

Wes gave them a sharp look and they fell silent. Blaine loosened his tie and unbuttoned his collar.

"Chloe was there. She was…sweet."

Nick fidgeted as he sat cross-legged on the carpet and David groaned, "I really hate this." Thad was about to voice his agreement when the door opened and an irritated Sebastian stepped in.

"Where were you?"

"I was held captive in the president's office. Charlotte may be hot, but her glares can kill. Come on, it's almost one forty. We have to get to school."

Blaine shrugged his suit off and threw his tie aside. The ex-Warblers followed him to the car park where they got into three cars and made their way to Bethany's School.

"Who are we supposed to be today? Concerned brothers, strange friends, or random men on a road trip?" Blaine rubbed his face before he replied, "No one. Stay in the car."

Wes eyed him warily but kept his comments to himself.

"Are you…will you be okay?" Nick whispered from the back seat.

Looking at him through the rear-view mirror, Blaine just gave him a tired smile. He got out of the car and stood beside the gate, looking out for the little girl.

"_**Target spotted at two o'clock."**_ Sebastian's voice crackled in his ear. Peering over the heads of the other parents and caretakers, Blaine finally saw Chloe dressed in her brown pinafore as she held a book in her hand.

Blaine was about to give her a wave when she caught sight of him and her face broke into a bright smile. Hurrying over, she pushed herself through the crowd before stopping in front of him.

"Mister Anderson-Hummel!"

Blaine bent down to give Chloe a hug and lifted her into his arms.

"What are you doing here?"

Giving her a peck on the cheek, they headed over to the car.

"My friends and I were just passing by. I was wondering if you wanted a lift home."

Chloe gave nodded her head animatedly and wrapped her arms around his neck while resting her chin on his shoulder.

When they reached the car, Blaine lowered her onto the ground and opened the door. "That's Wes in the driver's seat and Nick in the back. You can sit in the middle."

She poked her head in and gave the interior a quick glance before climbing into her seat clumsily. She was still a little short so her tiny feet were dangling above the floor.

"Mister Wes, you have a very nice car."

Wes turned around to give her a smile before returning his eyes to the road. Clearing his throat, he said, "Thank you. Do you happen to know the way home? I'll need someone to direct me."

Chloe sat up a little straighter and rattled off a whole list of directions before telling them about her day at school.

While she continued talking about an art assignment she had to complete by the next day, the three men exchanged worried looks.

_How do we get this done?_

* * *

><p>Feeling the tie around his neck tighten as he took the lift up to the twentieth floor, Blaine took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.<p>

The bell rang and the door opened, revealing dimly lit corridors that led to a single room.

Blaine stopped in front of those dreaded doors and gave it a sharp knock. It flew open almost immediately and Charlotte greeted him monotonously, "Good afternoon Blaine." He tried to smile but ended up giving her a grimace, forcing the words out of his rapidly constricting throat, "Good afternoon Charlotte."

She stepped aside to allow him in and he moved towards the man behind the heavy desk.

"What do you want?"

"I can't do it."

Edgar Anderson finally looked up from the papers as a look of confusion flickered across his face but it quickly disappeared. Leaning back against his chair, Edgar continued to look at Blaine indifferently.

"I can't kill the girl. I'll take up another job, but I can't do this."

Blaine had hoped that his father would be reasonable for once but he felt all hope drain away as Edgar reached out for a brown envelope stored in the drawer.

Placing it on the table and pushing it towards Blaine, he whispered, "Open it."

His palms were starting to sweat but Blaine tried to keep them from shaking. He had to remain composed. He couldn't show any signs of weakness.

"Turn to the second page and read the third point out loud."

Blaine wanted nothing more than to leave immediately. His heart was hammering in his chest and the air in the room appeared to become steadily thinner. But he couldn't. He had to do this.

"'Should any jobs be demurred, Edgar Maddox Anderson reserves the rights to take actions he deems appropriate.'"

Giving Blaine a satisfied nod, Edgar leaned forward and looked at him in the eye.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

_No. No. You don't. You have to keep Kurt out of this. Turn around and leave. _

_I can't._

"…Yes," Blaine breathed and felt the world collapse as Edgar reached over for the phone and pressed a button at the corner.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm taking appropriate actions."

Blaine could have sworn that he wanted to reach out and crush his neck.

_You're a fucking idiot. Kurt will get hurt. He'll get hurt and killed because of you._

"You can't. Dad, you can't. Please," Blaine begged, "Please don't do this."

Pushing the heavy armchair back as he rose to full height, Edgar walked out of his office without a second glance at the man who was looking at him with such despair and panic.

As soon as he heard the heavy wooden doors close, Blaine felt his knees buckle as he collapsed onto the floor.

_It's your fault._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Thank you for reading and reviewing! I'm really, really happy that you guys have liked it so far. (I'll insert a smiley face here) =D The next update may be in three days instead of two because I'll be a little preoccupied with college applications. I'm really sorry!

This ff is still being written so if there's anything in particular you'd like me to include (be it a plot, writing style etc.) do tell me (via review or PM, either one which you're more comfortable with). I'll try to add it in.

I tried writing completely in Blaine's POV but I couldn't get it to work very well. I ended up combining a third person's POV and Blaine's POV which is written in italics instead. I hope that everyone is alright with it. If anyone has any tips for me on how to write in first person, please share them.

Once again, thank you!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Glee belongs to Fox**

* * *

><p>Kurt was twirling his pen lazily and staring into space when the phone rang. Breaking out of his reverie, he picked it up and held it to his ear.<p>

"Kurt Anderson-Hummel."

"_**Someone is waiting for you at the lobby. He says that he's from Anderson Buildings and Co."**_

Frowning in confusion, Kurt made a noise of acknowledgement and hung up.

Apart from the ex-Warblers, he didn't know anyone from Anderson Buildings and Co.

_There's Edgar Anderson._

_Well yes, but he doesn't count._

Taking the lift down to the lobby area, Kurt saw a large burly man wearing a tight suit. He was leaning against the pillar, looking very bored and out of place. When Kurt inched closer to him, he immediately turned around and straightened himself.

"You're Kurt Hummel, yes?"

Kurt noticed that Blaine's family name was left out and wondered if he should lie and try to get away with it, but for some reason he found himself nodding.

"You will follow me. Something happened at work and Mister Blaine Anderson wishes to see you."

Kurt froze as his eyes widened. Hurrying to catch up with the man who was walking away, he asked, "Where is he? Is he alright?"

The man simply shrugged and led him to a car parked outside. The windows were tinted, but Kurt did not think much of it.

_Blaine wants to see me. He needs me._

When he slid into the car and closed the door beside him, Kurt began drumming his fingers nervously as he looked at his lap, not daring to look anywhere else.

The same man was sitting beside him stiffly, his hard eyes staring straight ahead.

Kurt didn't notice the driver locking the doors or the way the man reached into the inner pocket of his suit.

He had to get to Blaine, fast.

* * *

><p>There was a strange buzzing in his ear and he vaguely registered a flurry of activities around him. Someone was shaking his shoulder, another crouched down in front of him and a few other voices were calling his name.<p>

"….Blaine? What happened?"

Suddenly everything became clear. The noises were too loud, the room was too bright, and the shaking too violent. He pushed everyone away and jumped to his feet.

"Fuck off!" he roared and began breathing heavily.

Everyone fell silent and stared at him in shock.

Jeff finally cleared his throat and croaked, "Dude, we…just…what's wrong?"

Blaine felt an insane laughter erupt from his chest as he leaned against the stupid mahogany desk for support.

"What's wrong? What's wrong? I screwed up. I screwed everything up and you're asking me _what's wrong_?"

He felt the unfamiliar sensation of tears burn in his eyes as he violently rubbed them away. He couldn't cry. He was their leader. He had to, at the very least, appear to be strong.

Aware that everyone was still looking at him, waiting for answers but not daring to ask, Blaine took a deep breath and stared at the door.

"I refused. I refused to complete the job."

There were sharp intakes of breath and Thad sputtered, "But…Kurt!"

This time the tears fell and Blaine didn't bother wiping them away. They had suffered and fought through absolute _hell_ for four years and he threw everything away in a minute.

Everyone had varying degrees of confusion and panic on their faces while Nick covered his ears and shut his eyes.

Kurt had to be okay. He had to. They had given up _everything_ to keep him away. They couldn't fail. Not now. Not ever.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Four years ago.<strong>_

"I still don't understand why this is the first time we're visiting Blaine's home. We've known you for like…five years and we're best buds!" Jeff declared as he lay with his feet up on the couch, a beer in his hand.

There were murmurs of agreement and Blaine scratched his neck awkwardly. A few ex-Warblers had arrived at his doorstep unannounced and pushed their way into the large house, saying that a house visit was way overdue.

Sebastian was spread out like a starfish on the floor when he raised his arm out and commented, "It's like you have some dark secret you aren't willing to share or something."

Blaine nearly blanched at the accuracy of the statement but ended up waving it away instead.

They were a little hung up on booze when the window shattered and the door slammed opened.

_Shit._

"What the hell was-?"

David couldn't complete his sentence before something that sounded awfully like a gunshot was heard and Blaine sprung to his feet.

"Get up! We need to go, now!"

There was another shot before everyone stumbled after Blaine, running out the backdoor and into the connecting garage.

They piled into a black van while Blaine jumped into the driver's seat and they sped off into the night. Everyone was silent while trying to understand what _the hell _had just happened.

Wes pushed David's leg off his lap and snapped, "I believe we deserve an explanation."

"Dude, we were nearly _killed_. That shit belongs to video games where people have an unlimited number of lives," Jeff said nervously, trying to find some levity in the situation.

Blaine kept pushing the van forward and finally slowed to a stop when they turned off a deserted road. He was breathing heavily, beads of sweat running down his neck and soaking his collar.

"I don't-"

"Blaine, please," Nick whispered, "Please don't lie to us."

He was pale and shaking, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall as he looked at Blaine.

Blaine avoided his friends' frightened gazes and shook his head.

"I can't. I can't get you involved in this."

Sebastian jumped to his feet and cried, "That's garbage! We could have _died_! Whether you like it or not, we're already involved."

_Say it. Come on, say it._

"It's a family business."

"It's a family business to get shot in your own home?" Trent asked, baffled.

"It's crazy. It's insane and I could get killed for telling you this. We're…damn it…we're killers for hire," Blaine said in a single breath, trying to get things out as quickly as possible.

"You're crazy. That's completely-"

Another shot burst through the air and cut Thad off. Blaine found himself falling out of the vehicle and onto the ground when he tried to duck.

He tried to get back on his feet but a dark figure pounced on him and knocked him back onto the hard cement. His head was spinning from the impact, but he had to get up, fast.

"Blaine!" Nick gave a panicked cry as he jumped out of the vehicle and tried to throw the man off. When that figure turned around and hit Nick to the ground, all hell broke loose. A group of unknown men ambushed them, pulling and throwing the others out of the van.

Blaine raised his fist and punched the first thing it collided with and managed to hit the man's face. Quickly scrambling to his feet, Blaine felt someone grab him from the back as a knife was held to his throat.

"Where is he?"

Everything froze. Blaine could feel the warm breath in his ear, but a chill ran up his spine.

"Don't fuck with me, boy. I know who you are. You're Anderson's kid. He killed my wife. He killed her." The man grabbed a fistful of hair and pulled Blaine's head back violently, allowing the knife to make a thin cut just below his Adam's apple.

Blaine closed his eyes and tried to get his breathing under control. He couldn't afford a panic attack. He had to get them _out_.

"I don't know."

A fist collided with his nose just as a knee swung into his stomach. Pain erupted through his chest but before he could comprehend what had happened, a loud shot was heard behind him.

For a moment, he thought that a bullet had ripped through his back but quickly realized that the chokehold around his neck had slackened.

The man collapsed to his knees and then fell onto the ground with a sickening 'thud'.

His eyes were opened, but they weren't seeing anything. They would remain blank forever. He was dead.

Blaine felt sick. Everything rushed up his throat as he bent over the side of the pavement. Someone pulled him to his feet but he didn't have the strength to fight it off.

"Blaine, look at me," a familiar voice demanded.

Blaine lifted his eyes and looked into the face of his father's assistant, Charlotte Fernandez.

"We're taking you back to the office. You'll see your friends there."

He didn't know when or how he got into the back of the car, but he didn't care.

His father had killed another man tonight.

...

When he stepped into the bright room, Blaine saw his friends staring at the walls blankly.

Jeff licked his lips and laughed humorlessly, "What the fuck, dude. You weren't kidding."

Blaine lowered himself onto the ground, away from his friends, if they still considered him their friend.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

He was crying now, but he didn't wipe those tears away. He was _exhausted_ and _terrified_.

There was a short pause before David asked, "Blaine, why are you sitting by yourself? Come over here."

Blaine's head shot up and he looked at them in disbelief.

Sebastian unfolded his legs and walked over, reaching out a hand.

"Look man, it's not your fault. You're not a violent dude. I mean, yeah, you started the fight club, but you won't actually kill anyone."

Blaine took his hand and allowed Sebastian to lead him to the couch. Sinking heavily into the cushion, he found himself unable to speak. What could he say?

"Does…does Kurt know about this?" Trent asked hesitantly. It probably wasn't a good time to bring Kurt up, but he had to know.

"No. And I'm not going to tell him. He has…he has seen enough. He witnessed his mom's death, nearly lost his dad and got a death threat. He cannot know about this. I don't know what I'll do if I lose him."

There were murmurs of agreement, but everyone mostly kept to themselves.

When the door opened again, Blaine heard the familiar footsteps of a man he loved and hated.

"Blaine."

He rose to his feet and kept his head bowed. Trying to keep his voice steady, Blaine replied, "Good evening Dad."

There were sharp intakes of breath as the ex-Warblers fumbled around, not really knowing what to do.

"You cannot keep running away. You're twenty-one. It's time for you to start your duties."

Blaine's head snapped up and he protested weakly, "But I don't want to."

Edgar sighed, turning around to tell Charlotte to leave. When the door closed and there were only nine people left in the room, he looked at Blaine and said, "Blaine, I hate to do this, but you're my only son. You're the only one who can carry on the family business and you're obliged to do so."

Blaine knew that he was going to deliver the ultimatum. He had managed to avoid his father since he turned eighteen, but now there was nowhere to hide.

"You will carry out your responsibilities as an Anderson, or I will get Kurt Hummel involved in this."

There was a cry of outrage but everyone quickly fell silent when Edgar raised his hand.

"You don't want him to learn about this, do you? I've seen that boy, and he isn't going to stand by you once he finds out what you truly are. You belong to a family of hired assassins, Blaine, and that's a burden you have to carry."

Edgar didn't give his son a chance to speak before he turned around and left. Blaine simply stood rooted to the spot, his head crammed with thoughts yet his mind remained numb.

"Blaine, there'll be a way out of this. We'll figure it out together," Trent said as he tried to convince everyone, including himself, that there was still a little _hope._

"There isn't. I've been trying to fight this for so long but it stays there like a fucking tattoo. There's _no way out_."

Finally, Blaine whispered, "I can't lose Kurt. You know that. I can't. He means _everything_ to me."

Jeff looked around the room and nodded.

"We know. And this is insane, but you won't go through this alone. You're our brother. I'm sticking with you."

There were another six voices of agreement and Blaine felt the tears fall again.

"God, I swear I've cried enough today for a lifetime."

There was a pause. David held his arms open and said loudly, "Come on people, this deserves a group hug. We've just sold our souls to the devil."

There was an awkward laughter before Blaine found himself squashed on the floor under a pile of fighting bodies.

"I get to hug him!"

"Move _over_!"

It was crazy, but for the first time he felt that maybe, just maybe, there was a way out.

He wasn't alone. When things got too heavy, there were actually _friends_ he could rely on.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

I did feel like a complete jerk (as I said in chapter 3) and ended up editing the chapter. I hope that it's satisfactory.

Thank you for reading! And thank you for the really, really amazing reviews! Sorry for the one-day wait.

To sunchips1179: Yeah, they are taking up more time than I thought they would. I have to apply to about 12 schools. Wishing you all the best!


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Glee belongs to Fox**

**Warning: Mentions of rape**

Posting this a day earlier to make up for the previous chapter which was more of a filler.

* * *

><p>Kurt had been sitting in the car for about half an hour before he finally mustered up the courage to ask, "Excuse me, but where are we going?"<p>

He had never visited Blaine's workplace, but the car had been travelling down a dusty road for a while now, and things seemed a little odd.

When the two men in the car continued to ignore him, Kurt felt fear prickle in his stomach. Maybe he was being paranoid, but he could have sworn that the driver tightened his grip around the steering wheel.

Beads of sweat began to form and he clenched his fists. The silence was suffocating. He tried to look out the window, but it was getting dark and the windows were tinted so he could barely make out the silhouettes of the passing trees.

"I'm sorry but-"

"Shut up," growled the man beside him.

Kurt frowned and leaned closer to the door, trying to reach for the handle. That's when he heard a click and halted. Looking out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a gun in the man's hand. It was pointing at his head.

"You make any attempt to move and I might just pull the trigger. Would you like to test that theory?"

His head was swirling and the pounding of his heart resounded in his ears. Kurt tried to take shallow breaths, terrified that even breathing too loudly would get him killed.

He found himself trapped in the car for the longest thirty-five minutes of his life. The car slowed to a standstill in front of a dilapidated building in the middle of nowhere.

"Get out and keep your hands where I can see them."

The driver unlocked the door and Kurt found himself stumbling onto the ground. Bending his elbows as he lifted his hands up to his ear, Kurt tried to remain quiet as the cool metal touched the back of his neck.

The man pushed him forward and he struggled to remain on his feet.

When the door swung open, the man gave the gun a hard push and Kurt landed on the floor. His neck hurt and he gave the man a dirty look. He was confused and worried. Where was his husband?

Kurt held himself up with his arms and glowered at the man. He wasn't going to scream or show his fear like a helpless victim. He stood up to his bullies, he confronted Karofsky and he'll just have to do it again.

Just as he opened his mouth to speak, someone entered the room and spoke in a cool voice, "It's been a long time since we last met. How have you been?"

Oh God. He knew that voice. He knew that voice and he _hated_ it.

_What's he doing here? What's going on?_

"Kurt, have you forgotten your manners?"

_Focus. He's Blaine's father. He's your father-in-law. _

"Good evening Mister Anderson."

Kurt could see it now. He could see the way the light reflected off his dark irises and the way the corners of his lips tilted upwards to form a smile. It was a smile that held neither warmth nor sincerity. Blaine looked absolutely _nothing_ like his father.

"Kurt, how much do you know about Blaine?"

_What're you talking about? _

"Did you know that he's trained to slaughter?"

Kurt continued to look at him in confusion. Nothing he said made sense. None of this made any sense at all.

When Kurt remained silent, Edgar crouched down in front of him and reached out to brush his hair. Kurt bit his lip, struggling to remain collected.

_Don't touch me._

"You're such an innocent boy. Would you like to take a look at this?"

Edgar handed Kurt a file and watched as Kurt flipped through the folder with a satisfied smirk.

_What is this? Who are these people?_

"It's like a diary, Kurt."

When Kurt finally looked at him, Edgar continued, "It's a diary of the people Blaine led the team to kill. You know what that means don't you? All of these people died in the hands of your husband."

_That's bullshit. He's messing with your head. Don't let him confuse you. _

"You can try to deny it all you want, Kurt, but you cannot lie to yourself. Somewhere, deep down inside, you know that I'm not lying."

Kurt didn't want to admit it. He couldn't. But everything pointed to the truth.

_Those nights he returned with unexplainable bruises, those weeks he went away and those nightmares that plagued his sleep._

"I'll give you some time to let it sink in."

Kurt barely registered Edgar's departure or the chains being wound around his wrist.

_Blaine has been trained to slaughter._

* * *

><p>"Kurt's not picking up and Mercedes has no idea where he is."<p>

Thad was busy punching the buttons on his mobile phone as he tried to get in touch with Kurt. Blaine was biting his lip, his hand covering his eyes as he ended the conversation with his father-in-law, "Thanks Burt. Everything's fine. We'll visit you soon."

The van swerved and skidded to a stop. Sebastian turned to them from the front seat and demanded, "We're here. Now get out."

Everyone poured out of the car and entered the large European styled house. Pulling the keys out of his pocket, Blaine jabbed it into the keyhole and gave it a twist. The door flew open easily and they dashed in.

The chances were slim, but Blaine prayed that Kurt had somehow managed to remain safe in the comfort of their home.

Wes emerged from the basement and shook his head. Kurt wasn't anywhere to be found.

Blaine pressed his hands to his face and let out a cry of despair and panic.

_He has to be okay. He has to be okay. He has to be okay._

There was nothing left for him to live for he lost Kurt. He had the Warblers, but they would never be the same.

He _needed _Kurt.

Nick, David and Trent flipped their laptops open and began hitting the keys furiously, trying to get a hold of his location.

Nick managed to find a red blinking dot on the map and said, "I've found a trace of his mobile phone, but it's about eighty meters west of his office. He must've dropped it."

Jeff hopped over and knelt down beside him, glaring at the screen intently. The buzzing of a mobile phone on the table made him tear his eyes away as he shouted, "Blaine! Someone's calling you!"

Blaine jumped for the phone and felt his stomach drop.

_**Chloe June Montfort**_

With trembling fingers, Blaine answered the call and placed it on speaker mode.

"_**Mister Anderson-Hummel?"**_

"Good evening Chloe. What can I do for you?"

"_**I don't know what happened, but mama got really angry. She broke a glass and I think she has locked herself in the bedroom. I can hear her screaming. I'm scared."**_

Everyone held their breaths when they heard a hysterical yell in the background.

"_**She's talking about going down to some Anderson Company. I don't…I don't think it's safe for her to leave now. She could get hurt."**_

Blaine scratched the back of his ear as he tried to think. He had to remain calm and get things under control. It wasn't the time to freak out.

"Everything will be alright. Just stay safe. I'll meet her at the company and bring her home, okay?"

"_**Okay."**_

There was no hesitation. The tiny voice spoke with such trust and confidence that it made him wince. How many people has he lied to? How many deaths was he responsible for? He screwed everything up, but maybe there were still things he could salvage.

He hung up and pushed himself off the seat. Looking at his friends around him, Blaine recognized the look on their faces.

They were there for him. They were always there to support him and they always will.

Looking at Wes knowingly, no words were required to convey his instructions. The Asian man immediately headed for the basement and returned with a heavy case in his arms.

"Whoa, I didn't know Blaine had a weapons fetish."

Nick scrunched his face up and looked at Jeff in disgust. Sebastian lifted the cover and simply nodded in approval.

"Impressive."

Reaching in to grab what he needed, Blaine tied the belt around his waist and watched as everyone followed suit.

Trent emerged from the walk-in closet with a pile of hoodies in his arms. He took in their curious expressions and explained, "I don't think it's wise to walk around with guns hanging by our butts."

Sebastian reached over and held a grey hoodie to his chest.

"This must be Blaine's. It's made for a dwarf."

Throwing a fallen shirt at his face, Blaine huffed, "Shut it."

Pulling one over his head, a few curls broke free and Blaine brushed a hand through his hair.

Gasping and holding his hand to his chest, Jeff declared dramatically, "He's letting the curls breathe! Those babies must have felt _horrible_ under that helmet of gel."

Ignoring that comment, Blaine led them to the van parked haphazardly at the door and waited for them to get settled.

"I call shotgun!" David yelled before jumping into the seat.

Shaking his head, Sebastian observed, "It's like we're on a road trip to hell."

Nick fiddled with the hem of his jacket before Jeff suddenly grabbed his hand and began rubbing them.

"Your hands are really cold. Are you alright?"

Nick got over his initial shock and gave a tiny nod.

Jeff moved closer until their shoulders touched and he whispered, "It'll be fine. We're in this together. Don't be scared."

Blushing, Nick buried his face in Jeff's neck and inhaled deeply. He was always the timid one while Jeff had always been obnoxiously loud.

It was weird, but even though they were polar opposites, Jeff had always managed to read his mind.

He was vaguely aware of the way Jeff wrapped his arm around his waist and brought them closer together, trying to enjoy a rare moment of comfort, peace and security.

Thad gave them a knowing look before he began singing at the top of his voice, "_Robert's got a quick hand-"_

"Oh you have got to be kidding. Of all the songs we know, you picked that one." Trent snapped from somewhere beside him.

"What? It's disturbingly cool. And it's the most fitting song I could think of."

Trent shook his head and sighed but joined in anyway.

"_He'll look around the room he won't tell you his plan."_

Soon, everyone but Blaine was singing along. Feeling a nudge at his elbow, Blaine turned to see David looking at him with a cheeky grin. Blaine smiled and opened his mouth, feeling a strange sense of _freedom _for the first time in a long time.

_All the other kids with the pumped up kicks_

_You better run, better run, outrun my gun_

_All the other kids with the pumped up kicks_

_You better run, better run, faster than my bullet_

* * *

><p>When they stepped into the office, the receptionist walked up to stop them.<p>

"I'm sorry Mister Anderson-Hummel, but Mister Anderson instructed-"

"Let them through."

The soft but firm voice of Miss Charlotte Fernandez rang from the opposite side of the lobby as she emerged from the lift. The receptionist was stumped but kept her head bowed as Charlotte approached the group.

Miss Fernandez was the president's right hand woman. She was the only one (apart from Blaine and the ex-Warblers) allowed to step into his office without an appointment. No one knew very much about her, and she appeared to live in the office itself. She had eyes and ears everywhere, yet few people have actually seen her.

To everyone else, she appeared to be a stunning but apathetic lady. But Blaine saw through that mask. Sometimes, when Charlotte thought that no one was looking, Blaine could see a look of _disappointment_ or _sadness _flicker across her face, but they vanished almost as quickly as they appeared.

Meeting her eyes for a brief moment before she turned to take in everyone else, he saw it again.

_Guilt_

They followed her into the lift and when the doors closed, Charlotte kept her eyes on the buttons as she stiffly said, "Blaine, I'm sorry for everything that happened."

The ex-Warblers exchanged puzzled looks but most of them managed to remain stoic. They never knew that Blaine was on a first name basis with his father's personal assistant; he tried to avoid anything remotely connected to the family like a plague.

Blaine simply gave a nod of acknowledgement and stared ahead as the doors opened. When they stepped out, Charlotte remained in the lift and she finally held Blaine's gaze.

The mask shattered as she bit her lip and looked at him with tear-filled eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't step in to help."

"It's not your fault," Blaine replied monotonously. If he showed any emotion now, he knew that he would not last the confrontation.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded and gave him a polite bow before disappearing behind the closing doors.

Blaine tugged the collar of the hoodie before brushing over the pistol underneath it. Knowing that he had something to protect him was oddly comforting, even if he had used the same weapon to claim the lives of over two dozen people.

The walk towards the office was agonizing and every cell in Blaine's body was telling him to turn around and leave.

_No. You have to do this._

He didn't bother knocking on the door before pushing it open. As soon as he stepped inside, he came face to face with a furious Irene Maya.

She scowled at Blaine and snapped, "I'm supposed to be making preparations for my wedding! What is this rubbish about an _assassin_, a _professional assassin_, having a soft spot for that stupid little girl who resides in the Montfort Mansion?"

Blaine looked over her shoulder and saw his father sitting calmly in the chair. He didn't acknowledge their presence, and appeared to have no intention to do so.

Blaine tried to keep his voice calm as he said, "Good evening Mister Anderson."

Edgar finally turned to look at them and gestured for them to sit. Irene huffed and stormed over, sinking herself into one of the leather armchairs. Blaine sat directly opposite her while his friends took their seats around him.

Edgar stood up and poured three glasses of red wine, handing one to Irene and Blaine.

Blaine eyed the glass suspiciously, wondering if his father had decided to poison and kill them so he pretended to take a sip instead.

"Now, now, Irene, you've hired us for a purpose and we've given you our word: we will complete the job. Even if Blaine is unable to do so, there's always a replacement."

Blaine tried not to break the expressionless mask as he clenched his fist. He didn't think that his father would stoop so low as to get someone to finish his job after taking his husband away.

Irene gave a satisfied nod and lowered the glass. She folded her arms and eyed Blaine critically.

After a minute or two, she commented, "You know, I didn't expect my designer to be involved in…this. Honestly Blaine, you looked like you wouldn't hurt a fly."

She then stood up and took her bag with her. Turning around, she ran her eyes across each of them and sighed, "Well, I really must be going. I would love to stick around and have a nice chat with such good looking boys, but I'm a busy person. Goodbye Mister Anderson."

As soon as she closed the door, Blaine spat, "What the fuck was that?"

Edgar swirled the glass of wine in his hand nonchalantly and crossed his legs.

"You ought to watch that mouth. I took appropriate actions."

Anger bubbled in Blaine's stomach and he could feel his hands inching towards the pistol.

_Just kill him. For fuck's sake just take the gun and kill him._

But he couldn't. He hated that man, but he was the only living link Blaine had with the Andersons. Above all, he couldn't ignore the fact that this man was his _father._

Edgar barely spared him a glance when he stood up and suggested, "You should keep a close eye on that girl. I believe her name is Chloe."

"What's wrong with you?"

Edgar threw his head back and laughed loudly.

"You're so very innocent, just like that boy. Well Blaine, sadly you're still my son so I'll give you a hint: I did say that I'll get the job done, but I didn't give her a timeline. I've been jaded for a while now, so I might just hasten the procedure."

"I'll kill you. I swear that I'll kill you and have your body on display for all to see."

Edgar simply stood up and sat down behind his desk.

"No you won't. Now leave."

Blaine clenched his jaw. He hated it. He didn't want to admit it but he had to. For some strange, twisted reason, he still longed for his father's acceptance and approval.

He wanted his father to be proud that he was his _son._ He wanted his father to acknowledge that although he was gay and married, he was still _Blaine_.

* * *

><p><em>It hurts. <em>

Kurt lay on the floor, his hands chained to a hook on the wall. His back was killing him, and his wrists had been rubbed raw.

He knew that it was useless, but he tried to escape. He might have been angry and confused but after lying in the dark for hours, he realized that it didn't matter what Blaine had done, Blaine was still his husband and he loved him.

_I need him._

A large shadow approached him and flicked the lights on. The sudden brightness was blinding and Kurt had to squeeze his eyes shut.

Standing over him was the man who sat with him in the car and threatened to pull the trigger.

"Good morning beautiful. I wanted to show you something."

Kurt kept his mouth shut and tried to hide a flinch when the man lay down beside him.

"The name's Hugh. See this little girl here?" Hugh asked, holding a photograph in front of their faces, "Her name's Chloe. She's very pretty, isn't she?"

Kurt remained silent but he was getting a little dizzy.

_What is he doing? She has to be safe. Oh God please let her be safe._

"I can't think of any reason why anyone will consider killing her."

There was a pause and Hugh looked at Kurt from the corner of his eye. Seeing the reluctant curiosity in those glasz eyes, he smiled. He had Kurt right where he wanted him to be.

Pulling out another photograph, Hugh clicked his tongue and pointed to the lady dressed in red.

"This is Irene Maya. She has been eyeing the Montfort fortune for a while now and," he paused to give it a dramatic effect, "she wants this little girl dead."

He saw the wheels in Kurt's head turn and gave him a little time to connect the dots. When Kurt began to fidget uncomfortably, he gave a tiny nod and continued, "Yeah, and of all people, Blaine was assigned to complete this job."

Kurt froze and his eyes grew wide in disbelief.

_No. He won't do it. He won't. We had dinner together. He can't._

"I was really surprised when I found out that you played a role in this as well."

_Shut up. Shut up. I didn't. I didn't know anything. Shut up._

"You helped her make preparations for Chloe's funeral. You know, I never knew that you had it in you. I mean, you were designing a _funeral gown_. That's awesome."

Hugh turned to his side and brushed his fingers across Kurt's lips. Moving a little closer, he breathed into his ear, "You're really beautiful."

Running a finger down Kurt's neck and dipping it under the collar of his shirt, the man pressed his lips onto Kurt's temple.

"You're so beautiful and _twisted_. I've never met anyone like you."

He continued to move his hands down south and Kurt began to struggle.

_Please, please don't. Go away. Please go away. _

His buttons were ripped to expose the milky expanse of his torso. Tears began to fall as he tugged and tugged, trying to break free of the chains.

The man lifted himself off the floor and for a moment, Kurt thought that his prayers had been answered. But the man then moved to straddle him, peppering his neck with sloppy kisses.

_No. No. No._

His heart plunged when the man reached into his pants and held his boxers in a death grip.

_Kill me. Kill me. Kill me._

When cool, damp air touched his legs, Kurt felt any hopes he struggled to hold onto vanish almost instantly.

He closed his eyes, trying to lose himself in the comfort the darkness provided.

* * *

><p>"What are we going to do?" Thad asked as they sat in the van.<p>

Blaine felt that his head was being ripped in two. There were two people they had to find. Blaine's heart was screaming at him to focus on finding Kurt; there was no time to look after a little girl. But the logical part of his brain told him that he had a higher chance of saving Chloe instead.

_Kurt. Chloe. Kurt. Chloe. Kurt. Kurt. __**Kurt.**_

He rubbed his temples in frustration and leaned back against the seat. His friends were waiting for their orders.

"Nick, Jeff, Wes and David, you're coming with me. The rest of you will pick Chloe up from school later and bring her to the Hudmel's. Wait for my instructions there."

"But," Sebastian began, "that old man said that he might 'hasten the procedure'. Shouldn't we bring Chloe to safety now, before anything bad happens?"

"He won't do it today," Blaine said with confidence, "he wants to play a game, and he wants me involved. He already has a head start, so he'll be giving me some time to catch up. Chloe will be safe for a while but I don't want to push it. You'll get to her later."

Trent opened his mouth to protest but Blaine cut him off, "We're exhausted. We didn't sleep a wink last night and fatigue will only serve to hinder us."

Everyone bit their lips and grudgingly nodded in agreement.

When the van stopped, Blaine instructed, "Sebastian, I'm entrusting you with my car. Don't kill Trent and Thad with it. Now get to bed."

Sebastian eyed the car keys suspiciously. Blaine was a generous man, but he was fiercely protective of his car (and his husband). When he jingled the keys impatiently, Sebastian wrapped his fingers around them and nodded.

When they left, Blaine stepped on the accelerator and they sped off.

David watched him cautiously before asking, "Where're we going?"

"We're going to pay someone a visit. I have a feeling he knows where Kurt might be."

* * *

><p>Sunlight filtered through the cracks and dusty windows. Kurt was desperately trying to stifle his sobs. There were purple fingerprints dotting his thighs and hips and a sickening burn between his legs.<p>

The heavy body that was wrapped around him began to stir. Hugh looked around for a moment before reaching for his clothes. He then turned around and knelt down beside Kurt, brushing his tears away.

"You're beautiful when you cry. I have another assignment to attend to, but I'll be back in a few hours."

Hugh pressed his lips onto Kurt's cold, unresponsive ones before reaching for a thin blanket.

Covering Kurt's shivering body, he whispered, "I don't want you to catch a cold."

When he left, Kurt finally allowed the whimpers escape through his bleeding lips.

He had been violated. Another man had stolen the intimacy that he willingly shared with one man and one man only.

_Blaine._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Thank you for reading! And thank you for the amazing reviews!

This chapter is twice as long as the others because it was originally two separate chapters. I combined it into one so as to avoid dragging the whole thing out for too long. Sorry about the long wait for plot development! The other chapters will probably go back to the original length of about 2000 words (this was slightly more than 4000).

The song the Warblers sang along is called _Pumped Up Kicks _by _Foster the People_.

This multi-chapter fanfic should be about 14 chapters long.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Glee belongs to Fox**

**Please take note of the M rating. There may be triggering scenes in terms of violence, kidnapping and non-con.**

* * *

><p>Blaine drove the van down to the working class neighborhood before going off the main road and bringing them to a building that looked like a warehouse.<p>

He stepped on the brakes and turned the ignition off, gesturing for the rest to follow him. He was the only one who managed to stay awake throughout the entire journey but he was still alert. The fear that haunted him was giving him constant doses of adrenaline.

Nick had fallen asleep on Jeff's shoulder and Jeff gently nudged him awake.

"Whatsgoingon?" he mumbled sleepily and balled his hands into fists to rub his eyes.

Jeff chuckled and pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of his lips.

"Good morning sleepyhead."

Sitting opposite them, Wes gave David a hard shove and he woke with a jolt.

"What?"

Wes immediately slapped a hand over his mouth and glared, jerking his head in Jeff's direction.

"Oh please spare my teeth. I thought that I had finally gotten rid of the cavities after learning to deal with the sweetness of Blaine and Kurt Anderson-Hummel."

The boys sprung apart and began blushing furiously as they avoided everyone's gaze.

"We…" Nick sputtered, "We're not…" He finally gave up and settled on burying his face in Jeff's hoodie instead as Jeff instinctively wrapped his arms around him.

Clearing his throat, Blaine poked his head through the open door and remarked, "As much as I hate to interrupt, we have to get going."

Everyone scrambled to their feet and alighted before following Blaine into a garage.

When Blaine entered the dusty building packed with spare parts and broken vehicles, he looked around and called for a man named Tristan.

A man with greasy hair and a body covered with tattoos rolled out from under a truck. He gave Blaine a look of annoyance before straightening himself.

"Anderson, what's your pretty little ass doing in a place like this? Shouldn't you be sitting in daddy's office with a hundred servants groveling at your feet?"

Blaine snorted and gave Tristan a playful shove before introducing his friends.

"Yeah, that's very nice. Now spit it out. What do you need?"

Blaine struggled to find the right words to say as he shuffled his feet awkwardly.

"I need to know where you brought them," Blaine paused and tried to continue, "before…before they were killed."

Tristan inhaled sharply before setting the tools in his hand down on the table. He pulled up six chairs and took a seat, looking at them expectantly.

Once everyone was settled, he asked, "Who did the president take?"

"Kurt Anderson-Hummel. He's my husband."

Tristan did a double-take and guffawed, "Well done my boy! I knew that you had it in you. But wow, your old man must've been pissed."

"He was. He probably always will be. Look, I have to find Kurt and bring him home."

Tristan stopped his laughter abruptly and his smile vanished. Giving an understanding nod, he brushed his hand through his hair and sighed, "He hasn't changed at all."

There was a pause and Tristan pulled a coke out from somewhere under a table. Opening the can with a loud 'pop' and taking a quaff, he balanced it on his knee and rubbed his palms together.

"I'll be honest. That place is like an abattoir. The president sends people there with no intention of getting them back."

When everyone continued to look at him anxiously, he lowered the can to the floor and nodded in approval, "I like your attitude. Give me a minute."

When he disappeared behind the shelves to look for something, Jeff wondered aloud, "Dude, where did you get friends like these?"

Blaine shrugged, "I hung around the office a lot when I was a kid. Tristan used to work for the family but he left over a decade ago."

"How did he break away? I thought that leaving was suicide."

Blaine looked around, making sure that Tristan was out of earshot before whispering, "It is. It comes in many forms. Trent's was social suicide. He lost all contact with everyone but himself. He was thrown out of the city. I only managed to discover his whereabouts seven years ago when I was completing some administrative work."

When Tristan returned, he stuffed a yellowing paper into Blaine's palm and gave his shoulder a squeeze.

"You did good, son. It's old, but the roads haven't changed. Now get your asses moving."

Blaine looked at the map in his hand and gave a tensed nod. He wanted to thank him, but Tristan was already pushing them out the door and waving them away.

"He's a nice chap. A little shy, but nice," David commented as they approached the van.

Blaine was about to give a retort when a shrill ring rang through the air and he quickly held the phone to his ear.

"_**We've lost her."**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Earlier that day<strong>_

"Where are we going?" Chloe asked as she knelt on the leather seat and looked out the window.

Trent recited the story they created back at the Anderson-Hummel home, "We're going to visit Kurt's family. He has been telling them about you and they've been asking to meet you."

Chloe didn't ask any more questions, choosing to spend her time humming along to the radio instead. After a couple of minutes, she turned around and settled herself into the seat that looked too big for her.

She twisted the hem of her pinafore and swung her legs back and forth nervously. Thad looked at her from the rearview mirror and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know what happened. Mama seemed really upset when she left the house last night," she told them, "but she returned looking very happy. I…I shouldn't be feeling like this but I was a little scared."

Sebastian kept his eyes on the road and wound the windows down, letting the cool mid-autumn air in.

Over time, the buildings got lower and further apart until they found themselves in the familiar neighborhood where the Hudmel's house stood.

When the car stopped in front of a picket fence with a sign _Hudmel_ painted in Finn's handwriting nailed onto it, Trent opened the door and helped Chloe out.

Sebastian walked up the stairs leading to the porch and pressed the doorbell gently. A face appeared at the window and Sebastian gave a startled yelp before leaping back.

Rachel Berry looked slightly bemused as she retreated from the window and opened the door. She opened her mouth to greet them but Finn emerged from the stairs and gave an enthusiastic shout, "Dudes!"

Rushing down to give each of them a hug, he stopped to study the little girl that stood only waist-high.

He gave them a puzzled frown and looked around.

"I didn't know that Kurt and Blaine had a kid. Wait," he stopped as he appeared to have come to a sudden realization, "She's one of yours! Congratulations!"

Thad did a double-take and raised an eyebrow, "What? No."

"She's just a kid we adore. Do you mind if we stay here for a while?" Sebastian asked. Finn gave them a wide grin and stepped aside.

"Make yourselves at home. Mom and Burt have gone to town for a couple of days."

As soon as they were seated on the couch, Rachel brought out a few glasses of juice and sat with her hands on her lap.

"Now, as much as I love meeting some old competition, I would like to know why Kurt isn't here. I haven't seen him since last Christmas."

Sebastian felt his heart clench with guilt as he lied, "He has gone on vacation…with Blaine."

Rachel nodded in understanding and Finn looked up from the girl who was perched comfortably on his knees.

Trying to break the slightly awkward atmosphere, Thad asked, "Rachel, aren't you supposed to be in New York? What are you doing back in Lima?"

"Well," Rachel explained, "as much as I loved it, Kurt wasn't there. He moved away after getting married and I didn't have anyone to share the joys of being a Broadway star with me. I returned home this year."

Twirling her hair, she continued, "And Lima may never beat New York, but it isn't all that bad. I'm helping Jesse-" Finn gave a loud grunt and Rachel glared at him, "-with the arts program at Carmel."

"Anyway," she turned back to the group and asked, "How are they?"

"They're as nauseatingly adorable as ever."

Rachel gave Trent a satisfied nod and they turned the television on. For a little over an hour, they spent their time recollecting their Glee club experiences and shared new gossip. Nobody noticed the silver car that was parked near the driveway.

During a commercial break, Rachel got up to use the washroom and the doorbell rang. Sebastian's head snapped up and he eyed the door suspiciously. Narrowing his eyes, he slowly rose from the loveseat and wrapped his fingers around the handgun.

He was inching towards the door when Finn strode over to open it.

"Don't-"

The door swung open to reveal a dark man with shades covering his eyes as he stood at the entrance. Sebastian halted and felt a lump rise to his throat.

"Good afternoon Mister Hudson," the man casually began, "did you happen to see a little girl by the name of Chloe June Montfort?"

Sebastian felt like his body was suddenly sucked into a time-tunnel and everything fast-forwarded to present time. He darted back to the couch and grabbed Chloe in his arms.

That's when all hell broke loose.

There was a shout and the glasses on the table shattered as Thad jumped over it to drag Finn away from the door. Rachel gave a piercing shriek when Trent busted the door open to pull her out. Everything was thrown into a whirlwind of shouts, gunshots and screams.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Sebastian thundered, "Get out!"

They were scrambling to get to the backdoor when someone seized Rachel by the waist and flung her onto the floor.

"Rachel!" Finn yelled as he hurried back.

Sebastian shoved Thad, Trent and Chloe out the door and roared, "Go!" He then sprinted back to the couple trapped in the living room and grabbed the man's collar, pulling him off Rachel forcefully.

Throwing a punch and knocking another man over, Sebastian managed to get Finn and Rachel to the kitchen before a blinding pain shot up his leg. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to ignore it, pushing them out the door.

He froze.

Standing in front of them was a group of armed men aiming their guns at them. The dark man who now spotted a bruise on his cheekbone appeared in front of them.

"Hand the girl over," he commanded, "or the bullets will be lodged in your brains."

Chloe whimpered and a man snatched her arm. Trent immediately took a step forward but stopped when he heard the familiar clicking of a gun.

When another man threw Chloe over his shoulder and retreated into a waiting vehicle, the man who met them at the front door said, "We won't kill her yet. Your leader will know where to go."

He then turned around and left, leaving the rest of them standing in the backyard.

Rachel collapsed onto the ground and started to cry while Finn tried to wrap his arms around her.

"Sebastian," Thad sputtered, "You're bleeding like…" he couldn't complete his sentence and Sebastian looked down. He spotted a few drops of red dripping from his pants that were soaked with blood.

Clenching his jaw, he removed his hoodie and pressed it against the bullet wound.

"We have to tell Blaine."

Trent pulled the phone out of his pocket and pressed number one on speed dial. As soon as Blaine picked up the call, he whispered, "We've lost her."

* * *

><p>Kurt didn't know much time had passed but someone removed the blanket and grabbed his ankles. Fear gripped his throat and he tried to kick his kidnapper aside but his legs failed him.<p>

"Don't struggle. I'm just helping you put some pants on. You've got a new companion."

The door opened and a tiny body with dark hair fell to the ground.

_Chloe._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Thank you so much for reading! And to all who reviewed, placed this on story alert and/or favorites, THANK YOU! I'm really, really happy that you guys liked the last chapter despite my cruelty and evilness. I'm just sitting here smiling extremely creepily.

**Special shout-out to Glee:**

In my time zone, the Golden Globes took place today. I'd just like to thank everyone on Glee (including RIB+6). Negativity aside, Glee has made an impact in my life and I'm grateful to everyone involved in it (including the fandoms. I love you guys!).

**Replies to some questions:**

To Clovers-Charm: Thank you! He does get some form of payback, but it's quite different from that.

To Mary Peguero: Thank you for the amazing suggestion about a battle between The Warblers and The Agency. I'm writing some of that now. It's not THAT big (as in, he doesn't blast the whole building apart) but I'm attempting to add some stuff in. Niff is my crackship but I think they're in more of a…budding romance now.

To PoNyBoY4eVa: Thank you! Not exactly. Hugh and Blaine's dad have a unique/weird relationship.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Glee belongs to Fox**

**Warnings: Homophobic language, violence, non-graphic rape, kidnapping**

_Thank you in advance for reading! Whole sentences in italics represent the character's thoughts._

* * *

><p>Blaine was speeding down the road before stopping behind the familiar black sedan.<p>

Jumping out of the car, he waited for Trent, Thad and Sebastian to approach before slamming his fist against the hood in frustration. He was caught in a dilemma between Kurt and Chloe again.

Nick flinched and shifted a little closer to Jeff. Jeff, who managed to remain collected, reached over and held Nick's hand in his.

Thad scratched his wrist nervously and told them, "We were attacked. Finn and Rachel said that they would clean-up and keep their mouths shut. I know it's risky, but we'll have to trust them. There's nothing we can do. I think they're still in shock."

Trent shuddered and added, "No shit Sherlock. We weren't just 'attacked'. We were ambushed and it reminds me of _that night_."

Blaine stayed silent and tried to think. His mind was a mess and nothing around him was making any sense.

_Why were the Hudmels attacked? _

His father was cruel, but the whole point of this was to play around with _Blaine_. He wouldn't get Kurt's family involved; it was much too troublesome. He could have simply stopped the car with the ex-Warblers and Chloe in it and not wait until they reached the Hudmels.

David gave a sudden yelp and squatted down in front of Sebastian's leg, eyeing it anxiously.

"What happened?"

"I think the bullet punctured an artery," Sebastian grimaced, trying to hold himself up with his other leg.

Wes stepped forward to join David and gently prodded the cloth that was wrapped around it.

"We should get it treated. We don't know how deep it is and you might get an infection."

"Well, too late for that," Trent whispered as he blanched, "we're not going anywhere."

Blaine turned around slowly, his body heavy with dread.

"Good evening Mister Anderson."

"Hugh."

* * *

><p>Kurt jerked and tried to bite back a pained cry as the chains rubbed against the torn skin on his wrist.<p>

_She can't be dead. Please don't let her be dead._

When Chloe tried to push herself off the floor but ended up rolling to the side instead, their captor grabbed her tiny arms and dragged her to the space beside Kurt.

"Damn these stupid bitches," the strange man muttered as he bounded her wrists, "they are more troublesome than they're worth."

Once she was securely fastened onto a hook in the wall, he walked over to Kurt and stuffed a dusty bottle into his mouth.

"Open up and drink, you filthy slut, or I'll make you swallow something else," he laughed and continued, "You're a slut, so you'd like it, but sadly I'm not a fag. I'm sorry lady, but you'll just have to wait for Hugh to return."

Kurt refused to swallow the water that stank of plastic. When the bottle was removed, he spat it onto the man's face and gave him a defiant glare.

Wiping the water and spit away with his sleeve, the man dug his hands into Kurt's upper arms and gave it a painful twist.

Moving closer until Kurt could feel the moisture in his breath, he gave a deadly whisper, "If it wasn't for the president's orders, you'll be dead by now. Watch yourself. I may just…slip."

When he released his hands, Kurt slumped back onto the ground. He turned to observe the girl who was shaking with trepidation.

Kurt tried to move closer but his arms were screaming from the strain. Looking up to see an ugly bruise forming on his upper arm where he was pinched, he finally gave up and sighed, "Hi Chloe. Do you remember me?"

Chloe finally lifted her head and stared at Kurt through tear-filled eyes.

"Mister Anderson-Hummel? Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me. Just call me Kurt. Are you okay?"

Chloe managed to inch a little closer and the floors creaked.

"I met Mister Sebastian, Mister Thad and Mister Trent."

Kurt froze and tried to hide his anxiety.

"Did you meet anyone else? Did you see Blaine?"

Chloe bit her lip and shook her head. Kurt closed his eyes and allowed his head to fall. He gritted his teeth, desperately trying not to show his fear and despair, especially not in front of someone he had to protect.

"Mist – Kurt? What happened? What's wrong?"

Hearing her tiny, worried voice proved too much and Kurt felt a sob rise to his throat.

_What if they're dead? What if I never see them again? I can't do anything. I'm fucking useless. Blaine. Blaine. Blaine._

"Kurt?"

Kurt shook his head, trying to calm himself down.

_You can't scare her. She needs you._

"I'm alright."

He must've been a horrid liar because Chloe continued to look at him doubtfully. She eventually decided not to pursue it and lowered her eyes to the floor.

"Will we ever get out? I don't like it here. I miss my daddy."

Lifting his leg and giving her feet a gentle nudge, Kurt tried to change the topic.

"We will. I'm sure of it. There's no point in worrying now. Have I told you about what Sebastian and Jeff did on my wedding day?"

Chloe looked a little confused but nevertheless, she shook her head and sat a little straighter. Giving her a tiny smile, he settled himself into a more comfortable position and began recounting the day Sebastian and Jeff decided to sing a duet, completed with table top dancing and drunken smooches.

It was the day Blaine gave him the tiny silver band when they said their vows, when they swore to be there for each other no matter the difficulties. It was the same ring that has been wrapped around his finger for three years.

"_Thank God it isn't made of gum wrappers."_

"_Blaine, I don't care even if it's a ring made of vines. I'm happy just being here with you."_

"_You really are a romantic, Mister Kurt Elijah Anderson-Hummel."_

"_I love it when you call me that."_

They shared a kiss in front of a hundred people, and not a slushie or look of revulsion was thrown at them that day.

* * *

><p>They were thrown into a grand room. A huge leather couch sat on a Persian carpet in front of a flat-screened television that was mounted onto the wall.<p>

The room had everything but a window and a way to escape. The ex-Warblers were surrounded by concrete walls with no means to reach the outside world.

Blaine ran to the heavy doors and slammed his fists against them desperately.

_I'm losing this game. Time is running out. Kurt could be dead. _

Giving it one last kick, despair dragged him down to his knees and he sat on the floor staring at the doors that wouldn't budge.

Nick knelt down behind him and wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck. Pressing his cheek into Blaine's back, he whispered, "It's not over. We'll get out. We'll get to Kurt."

Blaine was too tired to move. He hadn't slept in over 48 hours and as much as his mind screamed for him to keep moving, his body refused to obey.

"Come on Blaine," Wes told him, "You need to sleep."

Thad took Blaine's arm and hooked it over his shoulder before he helped him off the floor and dragged him to the couch. Blaine protested but his friends ignored him, adamant on making their leader get some rest.

Blaine laid his head on the cushion and he tried to stay awake. He wanted to prove the others wrong; he didn't need to rest, he had to find Kurt. He had to get to his husband before he lost his mind. But Blaine soon found himself closing his eyes as he was engulfed by darkness.

He could hear that voice and laughter that rang like a bell, he could see the beautiful orbs of glasz and feel the silky hair between his fingers.

_But it's all in my head. He's not here._

Jeff looked at him sadly before lowering himself onto the carpet and extending his arms, signaling for Nick to move closer. When Nick approached, he found himself seated between Jeff's legs with his back leaning against his friend's (boyfriend's?) chest.

After a moment, David said, "That bastard said that Blaine knows where Chloe is being taken to."

Everyone sat in contemplative silence as Blaine snoozed on the couch. Trent finally threw his hands into the air and sighed, "I can't think of anything. She could be anywhere, or that jerk could be playing around with our minds."

Wes glanced back at Blaine who had now rolled to his side to turn away from them. He zoomed in on the tiny bulge in Blaine's pocket.

"Tristan's map," Wes whispered as he carefully reached into the pocket of Blaine's hoodie to retrieve that folded sheet of paper.

Jeff scrunched up his face in disgust and spat, "That fucker locked _both_ Kurt and Chloe in a place that's 'like an abattoir'? Sorry I'm not sorry for saying this, but even though that pathetic piece of shit is Blaine's father, I really want him dead."

"It's just a speculation. We don't really know where Kurt and Chloe are," Nick reminded him quietly.

Somewhere beside them, Sebastian flopped himself onto the floor as he covered his eyes with his arms and moaned, "This sucks. This really, really sucks."

When Wes turned to observe him, he frowned slightly and moved over to look at the piece of cloth tied around his gunshot wound.

"Normally we shouldn't remove the bandage, but it has been stuck there for some time."

He moved over to help Sebastian unwrap it but the cotton was now stuck to his skin by a mixture of blood and pus.

After ten grueling minutes of tugging, pulling, twisting, and eliciting more groans of pain from Sebastian, the hoodie finally came off.

Sebastian raised a fist in the air and panted, "Thanks Wes. God, I felt like I was about to die."

Slapping Sebastian's uninjured leg, Wes grunted and tossed the dirtied hoodie aside.

He was about to stand up and return to his seat when he noticed the unnatural flush on Sebastian's cheeks and inched closer, concerned.

He recognized that tiny shiver and reached over to grab his arms. They were cold.

"Wes, what the hell-"

"You have a fever."

Sebastian looked at him for a couple of seconds with an odd expression.

"I do?"

Clenching his jaw, Wes managed to bite out, "How long has it been?"

When he didn't reply, Wes raised his voice, "You idiot. You fucking idiot. How long has it been since the infection set it?"

Blaine stirred and pushed himself up, looking at the scene unfolding in front of him. Wes rarely lost his temper, and whenever it did, it usually meant something big.

Sebastian squirmed and replied in a small voice, "I don't know. I didn't want you guys to worry about something as stupid as this."

Wes looked like he was about to give him a verbal smack down when a loud click was heard and the doors swung open.

A disheveled Charlotte Fernandez rushed through those doors and she commanded, "Get out. Get out, now!"

Everyone scrambled to their feet.

"What's going on?"

Charlotte was pushing them out the doors as she tried to get them to leave.

"Just go. I managed to get the guards to leave and you have to get to the others quickly. The president is getting quite bored of this game."

"We can't leave you behind!" Trent exclaimed in disbelief.

A series of hurried footsteps echoed through the corridors and Charlotte shot them a look of panic.

"For heaven's sake, go!"

She gave them a final push and they found themselves stumbling into a blinding sunlight with a concrete pavement beneath their feet.

The door behind them slammed shut and a deafening shot was heard.

* * *

><p>Kurt opened his eyes and felt the intense burning between his legs again. He couldn't bear to look at the man sleeping beside him.<p>

Closing his eyes as he tried to shut the pain out, Kurt felt warm tears of guilt and embarrassment roll down his face.

When Hugh returned last night, he paid no attention to Chloe and dragged Kurt into an adjacent room. He slammed the door shut and ripped Kurt's pants off before proceeding to free himself from the constraints of the tailored suit. Kurt tried to fight him off but the lack of food and water made him weak.

He was helpless.

When Hugh slammed into him, Kurt tried to block everything out. He tried to think of Hugh as his husband, hoping that it would help lessen the pain.

It was _Blaine _who was lying on top of him, it was _Blaine _who lay inside him, and it was Blaine who was making love to him. He wasn't being raped. Blaine would never do that.

It helped. But now Kurt felt absolutely disgusted with himself.

_How could I do that? How could I try to channel my thoughts of Blaine onto Hugh? Blaine __**loves**__ me._

Hugh began to stir and reached out to wrap an arm around Kurt's waist to pull him closer. He opened his eyes and lifted a hand to brush Kurt's hair away from his face before pressing a kiss onto his forehead.

"Good morning, beautiful."

Kurt chewed on his lower lip as he suppressed the urge to cry. Blaine would do the same thing every morning when they woke up together.

He used to share this special moment with his_ husband_ but now Hugh stepped in and destroyed everything.

Kurt could never think of a kiss, a hug or sex in the same way ever again. They were once moments he loved and longed for. They were moments he reserved for Blaine.

Now, those special moments were tainted by _this_.

"Why are you crying? I'm not complaining. You're so beautiful when you cry."

Kurt turned his head to the side as he tried to wiggle away from the face that was hovering above his.

Stubby fingers brushed over his cheeks and he froze as a warm breath ghosted over his ear.

"I love you."

When Kurt didn't respond, Hugh began blowing kisses all over his face.

"I've loved you since the day I stepped into the office. Blaine Anderson had your picture on the table. You're so beautiful, Kurt. I've always known that you and I were meant to be together. We're made for each other."

"We're not. I want Blaine. Please Hugh, go away."

Hugh paused before rolling over and propping himself up with his arms, holding his face a few inches above Kurt's.

"It'll take some time, but I'll be patient. I'll make you love me too."

* * *

><p>The ex-Warblers were clutching onto their seatbelts tightly as Blaine sped down the streets and swerved between other vehicles on the road. This resulted in a series of irritated horns blaring their way, but Blaine couldn't bring himself to care.<p>

When Blaine narrowly missed another car, David held onto his seat and yelped, "Holy shit! Blaine, you're going to get us killed! Slow down!"

Slamming down on the breaks, the car jerked to a stop and Blaine bellowed, "Slow down? You want me to _slow down_? Charlotte's dead because of me. The Hudmels were attacked because of me. Now my husband and an innocent little girl could be dead _because of me_."

He punched the steering wheel and choked, "I can't lose this. I can't. I've been doing everything he says and I've dragged all of you down with me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I got you into this, but I can't lose Kurt. He's my _life_."

No one said a word and only Blaine's heavy breathing could be heard.

David studied his friend for a minute before unbuckling his seat belt as he grunted, "Come on."

Blaine furrowed his eyebrows and refused to move. He wasn't going to let anyone stop him from getting to his husband now, no matter how exhausted he was.

"You're in no state to drive. Just pass me the map and get your butt out of that seat."

Their eyes met for a moment before Blaine reluctantly exchanged seats with David. When the car started moving again, David gave him a meaningful look.

"Blaine," he began, "you didn't drag us into anything. We're here with you because we want to be. Stop blaming yourself."

Looking out of the window, he whispered, "I don't understand."

Thad tilted his head and asked, "What don't you understand?"

"Why did you choose to stay with me? You could have left. You didn't have to lie to everyone," Blaine closed his eyes and explained, "You didn't have to throw your freedom and lives away. I know that many things we've done are gnawing at our conscience and haunting out dreams at night."

Someone reached over from the back seat and placed a comforting hand over his.

"It's because we love you," Nick said quietly, "We're not going anywhere, so stop trying to get rid of us."

Blaine looked at the tiny hand lying on top of his.

_They're not going anywhere._

Jeff gave an awkward cough and added, "I've confessed my undying love for you people at least a hundred times before. Sometimes I question my sanity but…"

"Well, at the risk of sounding extremely blunt," Trent snorted, "I wouldn't trouble myself with that. You've never been very sane. But that was very sweet."

Jeff and Trent then engaged themselves in a bitch fight consisting of slaps and occasional shrieks as Nick watched on the sidelines while looking highly amused.

Sometimes Nick wondered how he ended up loving a man that acted like a child but then he remembered that despite his supposed naïveté, Jeff wasn't all he seemed. There were carefully guarded layers under his bubbly exterior.

Perhaps that was one of the many reasons why Jeff became so attached to them. They saw through his blazer and strange hair, realizing that despite his strange personality and the way he swore like a truck driver, he was still Jeffrey.

It was the first time Jeff felt that he was _home_. The same theory applied to most of the ex-Warblers. That's why they stayed. That's why they clung so tightly onto each other.

This was the only family they had.

"Sebastian, are you alright?" Wes asked as he twisted his body around to look behind.

"I'm fine. Keep your eyes on your children; they're giving me a headache."

Wes bit his lip, concerned, but didn't pursue the matter.

Peering out of the window, David announced, "According to this...hastily drawn map, we'll just have to turn down this road."

Little sunlight filtered through the dense canopy so the dusty road remained relatively dark despite the afternoon sun.

"This reminds me of Supernatural," Jeff remarked, "You know, where Sam and Dean drive down some deserted road to get to some shitty town and blast the heads off those fuckers."

"I really admire your ability to-"

"If the both of you are preparing yourselves for another stupid and pointless fight," David snapped, "Then shut up. I think I see it. Someone arrived before we did."

* * *

><p><em>Irene Maya.<em>

For a moment, Kurt couldn't recognize her. Her once impeccably styled hair was now hanging in a loose ponytail and her clothes, while expensive, were now too big for her sunken frame.

_What is she doing here?_

His legs were intertwined with Chloe's as she slept on the wooden floor beside him. Kurt didn't want to wake her up.

Irene's heels clicked against the wood and she stood between them. Barely sparing Kurt a glance, she lowered herself over Chloe and brushed her matted hair.

"She's so pretty, isn't she?" Irene whispered as she continued to look at that little girl.

When she didn't get a reply, she continued, "I really didn't want to do this to you. I'm sorry if they hurt you, but certain sacrifices had to be made."

Kurt was too tired to give her a verbal smack down so he just sighed, "And somewhere in that pretty but empty little head of yours, you decided to sacrifice me. So how's your life as a newly-wed? I was under the impression that you would have enough wealth to purchase new clothes that actually fit."

Irene gave a strangled chuckle and shook her head, "I didn't get married. Some issues came up and he wasn't in the right state of mind to do it."

There was a pause.

"Actually, I might have stabbed him in his sleep."

Irene rubbed her neck before she lifted her head and stared at the wall.

"Now that I think about it, I didn't get married because of you."

She straightened herself without looking back and dusted the front of her clothes. There was an odd tremor in her shoulders and she lifted her fingers to her lips.

"It's your fault."

Kurt felt his heart plunge and he struggled to move away.

She turned around slowly and dropped to her knees before crawling over. Her eyes were wide and unfocused as she lifted her hands to grab his face.

"They told me that they could only complete it on time if I took you. It's your fault that he found out. It's your fault that he sent those guards."

She ran a finger down his cheek and asked, "Do you know what it feels like? My fiancé tried to have me killed because of a stupid little girl. I had it all planned out. Why did you have to ruin _everything_?"

Chloe stirred and froze. Kurt looked at her out of the corner of his eye and tried to tell her to remain quiet but he was too late.

"Mama?"

Irene dropped her hands and threw her head back as she laughed.

Chloe's eyes widened as she scrambled to her knees.

"Sweetheart, you're so beautifully _naive_. Do you remember what I told you about heaven and hell?" Chloe shook her head, terrified tears threatening to overflow as she pressed herself against the wall.

Irene reached into her bag and pulled out a metallic blade that had been stained an odd shade of brown.

"Do you see this? This is what happens when you don't wash things out. Your daddy's blood is still here. It used to be gloriously red but now it looks old."

She raised it to Chloe's face and whispered, "Shall I make it red again?"

Before she could do anything, the door flew open and a body threw her onto the floor, knocking the knife out of her hands.

Chloe let out a bloodcurdling scream and began pulling against the chains violently. Irene was pinned down by the heavy body straddling her but she managed to raise her hands and dragged her fingers over tender flesh.

Jeff was taken aback by the sudden movement and lost his balance. Irene seized the chance to push him over as she scrambled for the knife.

"I'll kill him!" She screeched, pushing the blade against Kurt's neck.

Everyone froze.

"Put that down."

Blaine walked to the front of the group calmly as he carefully hid his fear behind a mask of indifference.

He was no longer Blaine Warbler, the boy with a killer voice who still felt a little nervous when performing on a stage.

He was Blaine Anderson-Hummel, a hired assassin that has been trained to kill.

He reached under his hoodie and pulled on a handgun.

"Put that down or I'll kill you."

Another click was heard, and Blaine heard a sharp intake of breath.

"No, Blaine. You put your gun down or I'll show Kurt how pretty your brains look."

_Father._

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><p><strong>AN:**

Thanks for reading! And to those who took the time to review, thank you! I combined two chapters again because I think most people prefer longer chapters. So…is this length alright? I'll try to post longer chapters but I apologize if I'm not always able to do so. Most of the time I do some last minute edits.

To vampire author va: Thank you so much! I hope that this chapter made it clearer that Blaine does care about Kurt.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Glee belongs to Fox**

**Warnings: Violence and kidnapping**

_This chapter has been re-uploaded and edited. I'm really sorry for the inconvenience. Thank you for the feedback! If there are any other inconsistences, please feel free to inform me. Thank you! Oh, and I'm now checking future chapters to make sure it doesn't happen again, so I apologize if there's a three day wait between chapters instead of two._

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><p><em>What's going on? <em>

Kurt was petrified. There was a blade pressing against his throat. Blaine, _his_ Blaine was holding a gun and the man he hated was threatening to kill his own son.

Blaine swallowed nervously but managed to keep a cool exterior. He had been trained for this. As much as he hated it, being the heir of the Anderson Company proved useful, especially when the situation calls for the need to remain, or at least appear, calm.

He shifted his eyes onto Kurt. This was something he definitely wasn't prepared to see; Kurt had the same look in his eyes when they confronted Karofsky. It was anything but comforting.

_He's scared of me._

Edgar Anderson growled, "Blaine, do I have to repeat myself? I said _put that down_."

Blaine hesitated for a few seconds before lowering his arm while keeping his eyes on the knife that was held against his husband's neck. He didn't know what his father was up to, but he wasn't going to take any chances.

"Irene, lower that knife," Edgar commanded as he gave her a hard glare.

She wanted to disobey, but something about that greying man made her insides squirm. Her arms seemed to return to her side against her will, and she couldn't do anything to stop them.

Kurt slumped back onto the floor and stared at Blaine.

_He's a murderer. He's a murderer. He's just like the man who killed mom._

The thought of his mother made the something inside him ache and Kurt lowered his eyes. She died when he was eight, but he could never forget it.

A man came into their house that day. Elizabeth told him to go to his bedroom and he stayed in there for two hours. When he wandered to the kitchen for a glass of water, his mother was lying on the floor. The man dropped the knife he was holding and ran away.

Burt found them an hour later. She was dead. Just like that.

_Why did I stay in the bedroom? Why didn't I come out five minutes earlier? _

He had managed to push these thoughts to the back of his mind for years, but now that barrier broke.

His mother was murdered, and Blaine was doing the same thing to others.

Kurt could almost feel Blaine's desperation. Blaine wanted him to understand something, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

He wasn't just a killer; he was a liar as well.

_Just how much do I actually know about Blaine?_

"I love you."

_Is that another lie?_

Kurt lifted his head and their eyes met. He didn't know what this feeling was, but the tight knot in his chest loosened a little. Despite the situation, Blaine still looked at Kurt like he meant everything to him.

Blaine wasn't lying. He loved Kurt, and he always will.

Before Kurt could give a reply, Chloe began screaming and jerking the chains violently. Ugly lines of blood and bruises were beginning to form around her tiny wrists and her lips were a little blue from crying.

"I want daddy! I want to go home!"

She began curling into herself, chest heaving from the large gulps of air she had to take to remain conscious.

Irene took a step back and buried her hands in her hair.

"Shut up," she muttered, "keep quiet."

Chloe tried to contain her fear, but she couldn't. She wanted her father.

When Chloe continued to sob loudly, Irene gave an earsplitting screech of irritation and wrapped her bony fingers around that tiny neck.

"Shut up! I said SHUT UP!" she screamed before pushing the little girl onto the floor and pressing her hands around her throat.

Before anyone knew what was going on, a gun went off and Irene froze. She then straightened her back and turned around to face them.

Her hold on Chloe slackened as she slowly rose to her feet while swaying dangerously.

She looked and Sebastian and began to chuckle, "It was you, wasn't it? You shot me."

Sebastian tried not to grimace but the pain in his leg and the dizziness that was making him ill threatened to give him a blackout. He didn't know what he was doing, and for a moment he had forgotten that Edgar was around, but he wasn't about to let Irene hurt anyone.

"So what if it was?"

Irene gave him a strange look and whispered, "So it is you. I've seen you in that file before. You're Smythe's son."

She fell to her knees and grabbed Sebastian's pants.

"You have killed many people, just like your father did."

Sebastian's breath hitched.

_How did she know?_

He shook his head and pushed the questions aside. This wasn't the time to care.

He kicked her away and she lay face down on the floor. Irene then turned around to face the ceiling. Some of her blonde hair was covering her face, but no one moved forward to sweep them away.

Closing her eyes, her body stilled and silence descended upon the room.

Blaine knelt over her body and held a finger to her throat. There wasn't a pulse and he reached over to brush her hair away from her face.

He stared at the ashen face that wasn't concealed behind layers of make-up. Running a finger across her lips, he announced, "She's dead."

Chloe began to wail and buried her face in her knees. Edgar gave her an odd look before ordering Hugh, who had been standing by the door all this time, to release them from the chains.

Blaine moved cautiously over to Kurt who had fallen silent some time ago.

"Kurt? Are you alright?"

Kurt continued staring into space before murmuring, "Go away."

Blaine stopped in his tracks and felt everything collapse. This couldn't be happening. Kurt was telling him to _leave_.

"Baby, I-"

"I said _go away_! I don't want this anymore! I don't want to be your…your _slut_."

Blaine's eyes widened in horror and he slowly stood up. Turning to face Hugh, he slowly walked closer and grabbed his collar.

"I'll kill you. I'll fucking kill you."

"Are you sure you can do that, pansy? Look at your hubby over there. Can you do that in front of him?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Blaine saw Kurt pressing himself up against the wall as a Jeff and Nick tried to get closer.

Hugh was…right. Kurt was already scared of him. What would happen if he actually witnessed Blaine ending someone's life?

Grabbing Hugh's head and smashing it against the wall, he let the heavy man collapse before stepping over him and running a finger down the side of his face.

"Maybe not today, but watch yourself. If you lay a finger on _any_ of them, I'll not be so kind. Do you understand me?"

Hugh gave him a curt nod and pushed himself off the ground, only to be met with a heavy push that threw him back against the wall.

Blaine pressed himself up against the man and breathed into his ear.

"I mean it."

When he was released, Hugh straightened his jacket and continued loosening the chains. Turning to look at Edgar, he said, "Well boss, I'll see you soon."

Edgar waved him away without taking his eyes off Blaine.

"I would suggest taking them to the hospital. Your friend may be in need of some medical help as well. Gunshot wounds can be fatal."

Sebastian stared at their disappearing backs and bellowed, "What the _hell_? _What the hell_? Blaine, what the fuck are you doing? If you're not going to kill them here and now, we will."

Blaine turned to face him and clenched his fists. Gritting his teeth, he replied, "And what? Let him, let Kurt, see this? What about Chloe?"

"But Blaine," Wes began, "He-"

"I _know_ what he did!" Blaine interjected, "And for fuck's sake I _know_ he deserves to go to hell. But-"

There was a tiny whimper and Blaine froze before he rushed to Kurt's side. Grabbing Kurt's hands in his, he rubbed them together anxiously and tried to get those glasz orbs to focus on him.

"Kurt, baby, please look at me. You're safe. It's just me. It's Blaine. You're going to be alright."

Kurt didn't respond. He simply sat there as he looked straight ahead. There was no fear or recognition in his eyes. They were as cold as Irene's.

Wes crouched down beside him and said, "I think he's in shock. We need to get him medical attention. Sebastian and Chloe have to get treatment as well."

Blaine made a noise of acknowledgement and lowered Kurt's hands. Reaching over to wrap Kurt in a hug, he nuzzled his face against those silky strands and closed his eyes. Maybe, if he prayed hard enough, Blaine could return to the time they were in high school, before all this began.

They would be lying in bed, curled up beside each other and trying to keep their voices low. Burt wouldn't know where they were, and they would not have to sit through another awkward sex talk witnessed by Carole and Finn Hudson.

They would be teenagers whose lives revolved around each other again.

Thad rested a hand on his shoulder and that dream shattered.

He was Blaine Anderson-Hummel, killer of two dozen men and women, failure as a husband, friend and son.

Gently releasing Kurt from his embrace, he gave them an uncertain nod and took a deep breath.

"Bring Kurt, Sebastian and Chloe to the hospital. I have a score to settle with my old man."

David wanted to protest but he chose to remain quiet instead. Biting his lower lip, he nodded and crouched down beside Kurt.

Pressing one last kiss onto Kurt's tear-stained cheeks, Blaine gently handed him over to David's waiting arms and tossed the keys over to Wes. Wes caught them in mid-air and gave Blaine a curious look.

"I'll take Irene's car. Now go."

Trent scooped Chloe into his arms and Sebastian leaned against Thad for support.

When the others had left, Jeff walked over and gave his hands a tight squeeze.

"Come back to us, alright? We need a leader and someone to compete against me and Nick for the most nauseating couple ever. Be prepared to meet some competition."

Blaine gave him a playful punch and laughed, "You know that Kurt and I will win. Now get going, you lazy asshole."

Jeff opened his mouth to give a retort but ended up snapping his jaws shut. He looked at Blaine though tear filled eyes and sighed.

"What-"

Blaine felt a heavy weight fly into his chest and gave a surprised "oomph".

"I mean it. If you don't come back, we'll kick your scrawny little ass and make sure Kurt can't kiss it better."

Blaine peeled him off and snorted, "That doesn't even make sense. If I don't come back, you can't kick my 'scrawny little ass.'" Jeff groaned and slapped him on the shoulder.

"You know what I mean."

Blaine gave him a tired grin before shoving him out the door.

"I know. I'll be back. I can't leave Kurt behind. I can't leave any of you behind. God knows what will happen in a room filled with overgrown teenagers."

* * *

><p>While he was accustomed to the sleek and luxurious interior of a million-dollar car, Blaine had never seen so plush toys arranged along the windows in his life. It dawned on him that they could have belonged to Chloe. They were all toys of popular children cartoon characters.<p>

He opened the CD compartment and realized that a large majority of the discs were produced by Disney.

Chloe had sat in this very car hugging a stuffed toy in her tiny hands while she sang along.

Sometime not too long ago, Irene was seating in this seat, pretending to be a loving mother and wife.

For some reason, that thought made Blaine sick. Sweeping the plush toys onto the seat and closing the CD compartment, he took a deep breath before leaning back against the headrest.

He then switched the radio on and turned the volume up. It was a song he didn't know but he ended up humming along with it.

Winding the windows down, Blaine let the rush of cool air wash over him. It was quiet, and the road was lined with trees.

Perhaps tonight will be his last.

What if he had given Kurt their last kiss? What if he could never hear Kurt say 'I love you' again?

_Don't think like that. He's waiting for you. They're waiting for you._

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><p>Blaine pulled the car up in front of the glass building and walked straight to the lifts. He ignored the receptionist and the surprised yelps of the people who turned to look at him. He was covered in sweat and grime and had a haunted look in his eyes. He was tired. He wanted to go home. He wanted to return to Kurt.<p>

If Kurt was here, he'd probably be pushed into the showers and thrown into a bubble bath. Kurt would give him a lecture about how such dirt could damage his skin while Blaine would continue looking at him, mesmerized. Blaine would then stand up and plant a kiss on Kurt's cheeks.

Kurt would give him a playful shove and try to hide his blush before muttering, "Stop being a jerk."

"Mister…Mister Anderson-Hummel!" a new intern squeaked as she pressed herself further into the corner of the lift, trying to get as far away from him as possible.

Blaine turned to give her a pleasant smile and said quietly, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Before the girl could come up with anything to say, the door opened on the twentieth story and Blaine gave her a tiny wave.

_Goodbye_

Stepping into the dimply lit corridors, Blaine began his slow journey towards those dreaded wooden doors. Giving it a curt knock, he waited.

_Charlotte's dead. Who replaced her?_

He didn't need to ask.

Hugh was standing behind those doors in a suit that looked very strange on him. If Blaine was perfectly honest, Hugh resembled a gorilla attempting to dress up as a penguin and he wasn't looking too pleased.

He shot Blaine an irritated glare before stepping aside to let him in.

Edgar was waiting for him on the leather couch. When he saw Blaine approach, he gave a reluctant wave before leaning back against the cushions.

Blaine gritted his teeth and managed to bite out, "Mister Anderson, I deserve an explanation."

Edgar sighed, "Is that how I've taught you to talk to your parents?"

"No," Blaine replied, "You may have created me, but you're not my father. Fathers try to protect their children, not kill them. You know that I need Kurt, you know that I love him, and yet you wanted to take him away. What were you trying to achieve?"

"I wanted to teach you to stand on your own. You cannot depend on others to live. You're an Anderson; you're not a weakling-"

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint you. I'm not here to listen to more crap. I want to know what happened. I've had enough."

For the first time in his life, Blaine saw a look of uncertainty and regret flicker across Edgar's eyes.

"It's simple. I told Irene that I had to move up the assassination of Chloe June Montfort by a month and a half. She was a little mentally unsound, and she was never very bright to begin with, so it was quite easy to convince her."

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><p><em><strong>Flashback<strong>_

"I don't understand why. I definitely said that it has to be completed in two and a half months, no more, no less."

Edgar eyed the panicking lady with disinterest. He was getting a little bored and honestly, he felt a little sorry for his son. But suddenly the gears in his head began turning. Running a tongue over his lips, he decided to try his luck.

"My son is the only one who can complete it within the given timeframe."

"Well then, where is he? I expect you to provide me with the best service possible."

"For some reason, someone is holding him back. You might recognize this person. He's my son's husband."

Taking out the brown envelope from the drawer, he opened it to remove a tiny photograph and handed it over to Irene.

"Kurt Anderson-Hummel? Your son is Blaine Anderson-Hummel? Why, this is absolutely crazy."

Edgar simply nodded and tried to bite back a smile. He could see it in her eyes. His plans were working.

"Yes. But I'll need your help in getting the job done as you wanted it to."

"I'll do anything."

"I'll loan you one of my guards, Hugh. You'll take Kurt to one of the derelict houses by the border and wait for further instructions."

Irene licked her lower lip and gave a curt nod before getting up to leave.

A faint smile tilted the corners of his lips upwards as he swirled the wine in his hand.

"Charlotte, shall I make this a little more _interesting_?"

Charlotte Fernandez stood at the corner in silence. Her face was once again an expressionless mask, something that only broke when she was alone with Blaine.

Picking up his mobile phone, Edgar flipped through his phonebook before stopping at the sixtieth name on the list.

"_**Yes boss?"**_

"I need you to keep an eye on a girl, Chloe June Montfort. Make sure that she's safe. Blaine will be looking for her. "

"_**Yes sir."**_

…

"She's gone! She's gone! You've taken her. You _lied_ to me."

Irene was pacing around on the marbled floor, her fingers buried in her hair. There was a distracting red stain on the front of her blouse and a bruise at the corner of her lips. Her hair was falling out of the clip that was supposed to hold them together, but she made no attempt to tidy it.

Edgar looked a little tired as he rested his cheek on his hand that was propped up on the desk.

"They must have taken her. I've told you, Irene, I just want to get the job done. I have no interest in meddling with other people's affairs, much less one that involves a child. They make everything more complicated."

Irene froze and immediately shot to his side. Edgar gave a startled jolt and turned away from the deranged woman who was pressed up against him, her eyes wide with fear.

"Who has taken her? Tell me. I'll kill them. They destroyed my _life_. My husband…he threatened to get rid of me. I don't know how he found out. I don't know how he realized that I _hated_ that bitch."

Edgar bit the inside of his cheek and sighed dramatically, "It must've been the Hummel-Hudsons. They are Kurt's family. I don't know why they wanted to get involved but they did. I happen to know where they're staying. You might find Chloe there."

Irene gave him a sloppy kiss on his cheek and whispered, "Give it to me."

Edgar tried not to grimace. He didn't like this woman very much, but she added a little fun into his life and he could get her to do his jobs for him.

Handing her a map, he pushed her off and gave her a disgusted glare.

"I've circled their location. Now get lost."

"Edgar-"

"It's Mister Anderson."

"Well Mister Anderson, I'm tired. I just…I don't understand. I mean, how can the man I _love_ give everything up for a _child_?"

"Irene, if you're so desperate, you can choose to end this yourself."

As soon as Edgar said it, a strange sensation rose to his stomach.

_Fuck. What did I just do?_

Irene gave him an odd look and pursed her lips before walking out the doors.

…

The phone was ringing and Edgar sighed. He wasn't in the mood to deal with anymore idiots today. Picking up the phone grudgingly, he pressed the tiny green button and held it to his ear.

"_**What the hell are you doing, you asshole?"**_

"Who is this?"

"_**Don't fuck with me, Anderson."**_

Edgar sighed again and massaged his temple. He didn't think that he would ever hear this voice again.

"Tristan, I don't know how you found a way to contact me but I don't want to talk to you."

There was a low growl and Edgar waited for the man to speak. Despite his ultimate failure and…betrayal, he had known Tristan for decades. He did deserve at least one phone call.

"_**Don't you think that you've done enough? Screw that. Don't you think that you've done too much?"**_

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"_**For some stupid reason, Blaine has stuck with you through all this shit. But you know that if you lay one finger on his friends or a boy named Kurt, he'll break. I've seen his face, Anderson; they mean the world to him."**_

Edgar swallowed the uncomfortable lump in his throat. Was it true? He didn't know why. Perhaps Blaine had always been craving some sort of affection within the family, but has he found a new family that means more than his biological one?

"_**Are you prepared to let him go? I know you, Anderson. When it comes to these things you're a hopeless idiot. Just…think hard. Life is too short for regrets. You've thrown too many of us aside."**_

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and ended the call.

He was sick and twisted, but somewhere inside he still felt a connection to the curly haired boy who had been trying so hard to please him. It was a strange emotion that Edgar couldn't believe he was still capable of feeling.

_He's my son._

Was he prepared to lose the little connection they had left?

_No._

There was a tiny knock on the door and Edgar walked over to open it.

The tiny receptionist at the front desk gave a nervous yelp and quickly lowered her head. This was the very first time she came up to the office unannounced.

"Yes?"

"Mister…Mister Anderson, sir. I saw a lady by the name of Irene Maya. She didn't look too well. I tried to get her to stay, but she said that she had to go somewhere."

"What else did she say?"

The lady shuffled her feet anxiously and stammered, "She…she has to take…take things into her own hands. I…I assumed that you would like to be informed of this. I'm sorry if I bothered you unnecessarily."

Edgar clenched his fist and nodded.

"Thank you. I would like you to prepare a car for me."

"Yes sir."

_I don't want to lose him._

* * *

><p>Blaine closed his eyes and tried to keep his cool. His fingers were already wrapped around the handle of the gun hanging by his waist.<p>

_You cannot kill another man. No matter how much you hate him, you cannot kill him. You've killed two dozen people too many._

"What about Sebastian? How does Irene know about him?"

Edgar took a tiny sip of tea and remarked, "I honestly cannot believe that you've forgotten. He's Smythe's son. As for Irene…Well I may have let it slip during one of our meetings. She has a strange obsession with previous assassinations and the different ways that they were carried out."

"And who is Smythe?"

Edgar paused and lowered his cup.

Looking at Blaine in the eye, he replied, "The man responsible for the assassination of twenty-five people in seven years."

Blaine inhaled sharply. Somewhere in the back of his mind, things were starting to sound familiar.

"I think you'd know him as the murderer of Elizabeth Hummel. She was Burt's previous wife and Kurt's mother."

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><p><strong>AN:**

Thank you for reading! THANK YOU FOR LEAVING REVIEWS! They're amazing and I'm really grateful that you guys/gals have taken the time to write them.

Don't worry about Sebastian's arc; it'll just be used to provide a little insight as to why he no longer pursues Blaine. I'm not introducing another major OC. And Edgar won't just end here.

In the previous chapter there was a little confusion over what happened to Irene. I apologize for the confusion! This chapter included the backstory but I'll write an explanation in case it's still a little blurry (it's quite long).

**Explanation:**

First off, Edgar is a douche and he's really bored so he tries to make this whole thing a little more interesting (for himself) while Irene is scared and desperate.

Edgar, in an attempt to hype things up a little, decides to lie to Irene and tells her that he'll have to push the job forward. Irene is scared because that'll ruin her plans of getting a hold on the Montfort fortune and she is willing to do anything. So when Edgar tells her that Kurt is to blame, she listens to him and works with Hugh to get Kurt into that creepy house.

Edgar the Douche then decides to take Chloe as well, because hey, he still has to complete his job. He has to kill Chloe. But he wants to make it a little more entertaining. So he lies to Blaine, telling him that he might 'hasten the procedure' because he knows that Blaine will then get to her and bring her to the Hudmels. When Chloe's father realizes that Chloe is missing, he finds out that Irene is related to it (he's a rich dude who has power and money. He can easily carry out investigations to find those involved). He really loves his daughter, so he threatens to get Irene locked up. Irene panics and kills him in his sleep because she's scared.

Irene blames Chloe for the breakdown of her love life, so she wants to find Chloe and get revenge. She returns to Edgar for help and Edgar gives her Chloe's location. Irene decides to take things into her own hands and sends people to get Chloe from the Hudmels and they bring her to the house where they're keeping Kurt.

She then goes there to kill Chloe and Kurt as well (because she thinks that if not for him, the job would be a success and she wouldn't have to go through all this crap).

Edgar, upon realizing that if anything were to happen to Kurt, he'll really lose his son, decides that it's not worth it and goes to find them.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Glee belongs to Fox**

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><p><strong><em>The previous chapter and this chapter has been edited. I apologize for the inconvenience. I hope it's better now. Thank you for the feedback!<em>**

Kurt was lying on his side in a private ward. He hadn't spoken a word since he arrived and spent his time giving the others vacant stares.

The police came and wanted to question them, but the ex-Warblers managed to turn them away. Kurt wasn't ready to tell them anything, and they couldn't exactly get the police involved.

Trent clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them as he hunched over his knees. It was a little unnerving seeing everyone so _helpless_, but there was nothing he could do.

The door opened and Sebastian limped in.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be resting your leg!" Trent exclaimed, worried.

"Don't be thick. It looks much worse than it actually is. Mama Wes accompanied me here so calm down. I've been pumped with antibiotics and I'm a little cranky. Don't piss me off," Sebastian snapped as he lowered himself into an armchair and rested his clutches against the cabinet.

They were giving him odd looks and Sebastian bit his lip.

_Please don't ask. Please don't._

Nick opened and closed his mouth repeatedly before he finally managed to stammer, "Sebastian…about what Irene said back there. I don't…"

Sebastian buried his face in his hands and whispered, "Can we please talk about that later?"

Jeff sighed and walked over to give Sebastian a comforting pat on the shoulder.

"It's okay buddy. I don't know what the fuck she was talking about, but we trust you. I mean, obviously we'll trust you over that crazy bitch," he said patiently before gasping, "Oh shit, I'm sounding sappy again."

Sebastian lifted his head and gave him a weak smile.

"Thanks Jeff. I appreciate it."

He then turned to face Kurt's back and inquired softly, "How is he?"

No one replied.

Nick was sitting on the edge of the bed and gently rubbed his thumb over Kurt's hand. Jeff sat beside him and for the first time in a while, he looked completely lost.

They tried so hard to get things right, they tried to follow orders, but it wasn't enough.

David folded his arms and sighed, "Well, at least Chloe's alright."

Wes nudged him gently and he continued, "She suffered minor injuries. Her father's dead but her mother's willing to take her in."

Wes scrunched his nose up in irritation and David muttered, "I know. It's bullshit. She disappeared for a three years and now she wants her daughter back, but there isn't much we can do. She'll be treated for dehydration and a mild case of shock before she's discharged."

Trent fidgeted a little and tried to lighten the atmosphere.

"Well, at least she's physically fine. And as far as we're concerned, she's no longer related to this stupid job."

David bit the inside of his cheeks and everyone gave Trent stiff nods. It wasn't much, but it could have been much worse.

"Kurt?"

Nick's timid voice caught everyone's attention and they scrambled over.

Kurt blinked tiredly and rolled onto his back, staring at the lights overhead.

"Why?" he whispered.

Thad looked around in confusion and asked, "Why what?"

"Why did you lie to me?"

There was a pause, and anger seemed to seep into Kurt's voice.

"I could have made you stop. I'm not saying that I'll accept everything immediately, and I don't expect myself to, but I'll always stand by you. I'm not that weak."

Tears shone in his eyes but Kurt refused to let them fall.

_I've cried enough._

"Why did you have to cover up all those times you came back so _broken_? You didn't have to hide your pain. I could have tried to do _something_. Why didn't you trust me to be there for you?"

Thad sniffled and lowered his face into his hands. There wasn't anything to say. Were they wrong in wanting to protect the one thing that kept them rooted to their previous lives, to something that made them feel _normal_? Did they really overlook all the times Kurt tried to find a way to break down their walls, to help them?

Was their love for him doing more harm than good?

"I'm scared. I'm terrified. But that doesn't mean that I'll stop trying."

Nick looked at him tearfully and whispered, "We're sorry."

"And Sebastian, what was she talking about? Did you lie to me, again? Have you known all along that…my mother isn't here anymore because of what your father did?"

Sebastian buried his face in the white sheets and whispered, "Kurt, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hide it. Please…please forgive me. Please don't push me away."

There was a tiny pause and Kurt's gaze flickered over to Sebastian for a moment. Studying the man who changed so drastically over the years, he lifted a thin finger and brushed it across Sebastian's hair gently.

_It's not his fault._

"I…I think I need some time alone," Kurt requested, "please."

Nick released his hand and nodded.

Jeff placed an arm around Nick's shoulders and led them out of the room to the empty corridors. Sebastian didn't look back. He couldn't. What was he supposed to say?

He knew that Kurt didn't blame him.

He forgave Karofsky for what he did; he forgave Puck and Finn for bullying him and even accepted them with opened arms.

Sometimes, Sebastian closed his eyes and wondered how they did it, how they managed to push their hatred aside and accept others despite their flaws.

He wondered if Kurt and Blaine were too forgiving for their own good.

Lowering himself into a plastic chair, he watched as David kicked the wall in frustration and stared at his footprint.

"Fuck this. There's nothing we can do."

Trent sighed, "I finally understand how Kurt felt."

David punched the wall and growled, "That doesn't make things any better, so why don't you just shut up?"

Trent jumped to his feet and looked ready to pounce but stopped when he saw Blaine approach them.

"Blaine! Are you alright?"

Blaine gave Trent a tired smile and turned to face Sebastian. There was a pause before Blaine lowered himself beside the injured man and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Sebastian," Blaine began, "Is there anything you'd like to tell us?"

Sebastian bit his lip and lowered his head as he slowly curled into himself.

"Look, Sebastian, I'm not angry. I just…I would like to know what happened between your dad and my husband's mother. There's no need to be afraid."

Sebastian nodded. He knew that he couldn't keep hiding, but that didn't make telling the truth any easier. He rubbed his knees and looked at the ground.

_Please don't push me away._

"I didn't want to hide it from you. I just didn't know how to say it."

Blaine gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder and said softly, "I know. Like I said, I'm not angry."

"He was just like us," he told them, "He refused to complete a job when he found out that he had to kill a college friend. She was a mother to a boy my age. He knew how hard it was to lose a loved one or to raise a child alone. My mother passed when I was four."

He paused.

"The president wouldn't allow it. He said that he would…do something horrible to us so my dad went to pay Elizabeth Hummel a visit. I don't know the details, only what the president told me. I don't know how reliable this information is. Apparently my dad and Elizabeth were good friends. That's about it. She killed herself to spare us."

His voice dropped to a whisper and he scratched his neck nervously.

"Then I heard that Kurt saw almost everything."

Everyone was looking at him as they held their breaths.

"Kurt saw his mother die in front of his eyes. My dad came home in tears. He said he left a little boy crying in a big house all alone. He said he stained their floors with blood. He…I don't know how he managed to leave, but he did. He was never the same."

Blaine nodded and remarked, "Please tell me that's not the reason you stopped pursuing me."

Everyone looked at him incredulously. Was that all he had to say?

Sebastian sputtered, "Well…no…yes…I don't know. I just…The guilt was killing me. I couldn't take Kurt's happiness away. I may be one stuck up, cold-hearted asshole but I'm not going to destroy him."

"And why did you decide to join us? You didn't have to force yourself down this path just because of what your father did."

"Well," Sebastian hesitated a little before continuing, "Initially I joined this because…in some ways…I felt that it was my fault. But I'm staying because I want to. Life sucks, but being around friends makes it a little easier."

Blaine laughed.

It was strange, but he felt his laughter dissolve into something that resembled sobs and a strange heat bubbled in his stomach. How many things were spinning out of control?

_Why am I crying again?_

"Sebastian, don't be thick. It's not your fault. I'm the one who ruined everything."

Nick knelt on the ground in front of him and grabbed his hands.

"Blaine, you have to stop blaming yourself."

"Yeah, but if I had pulled the trigger and killed that old man before everything began, we wouldn't be sitting here. I don't know why I continue _caring_ about what he thinks. He's my father, yes, but that doesn't mean he has the right to…to…"

David snorted, "Dude, that's because you're ridiculously kind to the point of being stupid. Sometimes I really want to punch you in the face and hopefully knock some sense into you."

Jeff nodded in agreement and added, "Yeah. When those fuckers beat you up at the Sadie Hawkins dance, you didn't even press charges. Although I must admit that I'm amazed that you didn't beat Hugh into a pulp after..."

"Trust me, I would have slaughtered him. But Kurt didn't need to see Blaine Anderson, the one who has a job in the assassination industry. I don't think seeing his husband kill another man when someone just died in front of him was a good idea."

Thad scratched his head and asked uncertainly, "But why?"

Folding his arms, Blaine leaned back against the unnaturally white walls and explained, "He would have backed away. When we confronted Karofsky in the corridor on the night of the benefit, he stood by to watch. It wasn't that he didn't want to step in, but honestly I think he didn't know what to do. When I pushed Sam aside and headed for the gym to sort out my anger, he eventually came for me but he was terrified."

Blaine paused and continued, "He's strong, and he stands up against those who try who pull him down, but everyone has their demons. Perhaps memories from those years of bullying or seeing his mother die in front of him continues to haunt him."

"That doesn't make him any weaker," he reasoned, "We know his glares can kill. He stood up to his bullies and he overcame so much, something I failed to do. But that doesn't mean he's unbreakable. I don't know what will happen if I killed someone in front of him; he might become more afraid of me than he already is."

His voice dropped an octave and he lowered his eyes.

"I don't think I can survive that."

Sebastian sighed, "But I would have killed him anyway. I mean…he did _that_ to Kurt. I would have kicked him, if not for this stupid leg."

Blaine smiled wryly and nodded.

_Why didn't I just end Hugh, why didn't I kill that old man there and then?_

Because everything pointed to him.

If only he wasn't an Anderson, if only he managed to break away.

Turning to look at his friends, he shuddered and gripped his pants tightly.

It wasn't the time for regrets. It was the time to fix things. This wasn't the time to be moping around, or thinking of 'what ifs'.

_It's time to get a grip._

* * *

><p>Edgar lit a cigar and held it to his lips lazily.<p>

"Sir, you called for me?" Hugh asked as he peeped in from behind the doors.

Edgar inhaled deeply and let the smoke linger in his mouth for a few seconds before blowing them into the air through his cracking lips.

"Yes. I would like you to send Blaine a message," he said as he handed the man a letter, "And after you're done with that, come back here and help me with some funeral arrangements."

Hugh took the letter and studied it carefully. There wasn't anything special about it. Written on the front in block letters was simply

_**BLAINE ANDERSON-HUMMEL**_

"Sir, I hope you don't mind me asking, but why do you need to make funeral arrangements?"

Edgar held the cigar in between his fingers loosely before he balanced it precariously on the edge of the ashtray.

Removing his wallet, he pulled out an old photograph. Holding it up, he flipped it around to face Hugh. Pointing his crooked fingers at a little boy in the middle, he said, "I destroyed him. I don't regret doing so, because I have responsibilities as the head of the Andersons. I can't let Blaine run off like that."

He turned the photograph back and studied it before lowering it onto the table.

"But I may have forgotten that I am, first and foremost, Blaine's father. Being the leader of a family business shouldn't have changed that. I guess this is just a price that I have to pay."

Hugh continued looking at him. He didn't like this. Edgar Maddox Anderson was supposed to be an emotionless man. He was the head of one of the most feared assassination groups around the world. Now, he looked _vulnerable_.

This wasn't making any sense. Hugh couldn't let this happen. The head of the company he worked so hard to get into cannot be a _weakling_.

"And why will you need to make funeral arrangements?"

Edgar chuckled and picked his cigar up again.

"Blaine may try to deny it, but I know him. It's in our blood. Whether he likes it or not, he has been trained to kill. I may have pushed him too far."

A look of sadness washed over him as he pushed the chair back.

"He'll probably hold a gun to my head within 24 hours. I don't know if he'll pull the trigger."

"Then why waste your time on funeral arrangements?"

"Because," Edgar replied, "Whether he kills me or not doesn't really matter. I'll be dead anyway."

Hugh gritted his teeth and Edgar studied him closely.

"Hugh, I know it doesn't really concern me, but do keep your hands off Kurt."

Hugh narrowed his eyes and stared at him expectantly.

_Why is he bringing it up now?_

Edgar fidgeted for moment before clearing his throat and pushing himself off the leather armchair.

"I don't like the idea of one of my workers having sex with _that_ boy."

Hugh continued eyeing Edgar carefully as he nodded.

"I'll keep that in mind."

Edgar gave him a strained smile before pressing the cigar into the ashtray and heading for the door.

Hugh stared at his disappearing back as he walked out of the room. Once he was at the doorway, Edgar stopped and turned around to give Hugh a strange look.

"Do you ever wonder what happens to those who kill themselves?"

When Hugh didn't give him an answer, Edgar continued, "I heard that they might go to an unpleasant place. But then again, I'll end up there anyway."

* * *

><p>Blaine's head shot up when he heard a series of unfamiliar footsteps echo in the brightly lit corridors.<p>

"Hugh."

Hugh held his hand up in mock surrender and said lazily, "Don't piss yourselves. I'm just here to deliver a letter to Mister Blaine Anderson-Hummel."

He walked over and pulled the letter out of the inner pocket of his coat. Blaine eyed him suspiciously before extending a hand to snatch it across. He didn't really want to come into any contact with that man.

"I know I should punch you for what you did, but that won't do us much good."

"Yeah, or are you too much of a lady to do anything?"

Thad clenched his fist and gave him a murderous glare. Before he could do anything, Blaine looked at him in the eye and stepped forward. Without any warning, Hugh felt a heavy fist connect with his chest. He didn't know what was happening, but Blaine was suddenly straddling him and wrapping his fingers around his neck.

"Blaine!" Nick cried out in alarm. He could hear the footsteps of others approaching, and if they found Blaine beating Hugh into a pulp, the security would be called.

"Blaine, let him go! It...it won't do us any good if we get thrown out!"

It took Wes and Trent to pull Blaine off Hugh. When they were finally pulled apart, Blaine wiped the corner of his mouth and spat, "Get the fuck out of my sight."

Hugh slowly pushed himself off the floor. Giving Blaine a low growl, he whispered, "You're too weak, just like your father is."

Leaning closer, Blaine grabbed Hugh's collar and whispered into his ear.

"No, you're just not worth the effort now. There are too many people around. Just remember: You'll die in my hands one day. Now get lost."

Hugh shuddered. He didn't know why. Blaine didn't sound all that threatening, but he was just like Edgar Maddox Anderson. Something about that family made him uneasy. Blaine released his collar and pushed him back. He adjusted his shirt before turning around to leave.

As Hugh disappeared when he walked round the bend, Blaine studied the envelope carefully and held it to the light.

"Who sent it to you?" Thad asked curiously.

Blaine shrugged and ripped the envelope open.

The handwriting at the front looked familiar, but he didn't want to get his hopes up. It would be the first time his father acknowledged that he was a married man who had changed his family name.

Scanning through the letter, Blaine's eyes widened in alarm and he read it again.

"What's wrong?"

Blaine crushed the letter in his hand and stuffed it into his jeans.

"I've got to go. I trust you to keep Kurt safe…what am I talking about? You'll do a better job than I did. Just don't leave until I tell you to."

Jeff furrowed his eyebrows in concern and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Dude, I don't know what happened, but don't do anything rash."

Blaine made a frustrated growl before turning to look at the door three feet away.

Kurt was behind those doors. Kurt was in the hospital because of him. They were in this situation because of his family. Now, it was his chance to end it all.

He could allow Kurt, he could allow _them_, an opportunity to return to the lives they once had.

"I know that. Keep an eye on Kurt and stay safe."

Thad eyed him warily and asked, "What are you going to do?"

Blaine kept his eyes on his husband's nameplate and said, "I'm going to bring us back."

Edgar was waiting in the very same house Chloe and Kurt were once held captive in. Irene's body was gone. She had been removed by one of the 'cleaners' of Anderson Company.

They would probably tell her loved ones that she was killed in a hit-and-run accident somewhere on the lower east side. There would be no questions asked. She would become one of the many hundreds who lost their lives to the Andersons.

She would be forgotten, just like everyone will eventually disappear when they die.

It didn't matter if it occurred months, decades or centuries from now; someday everyone will no longer be remembered.

Was it a little strange to think that one day, everyone will be floating around somewhere, alone, without anyone in the mortal world remembering them?

_But that's just how it is._

The door creaked open and Edgar rubbed the fallen ashes into the wooden floor with his feet.

He stood up and dusted his coat before turning around.

His son stood at the doorway, a gun in his hand but it was pointing at the ground.

"Good afternoon Blaine."

"Good afternoon Mister Anderson."

Edgar sighed and lowered himself onto the edge of the couch.

"Come over here. I'm unarmed and there's no one else around."

Blaine felt his hands shiver and his feet seemed to have a mind of their own. He moved closer and closer until his knees buckled and he fell onto the soft cushion.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Edgar was looking at him in the eye.

Blaine may appear to look nothing like his father, but there was an undeniable resemblance in their eyes. It was the eyes of someone who had seen too much.

"Honestly Blaine, I just wanted to talk. Don't you think that it's time we had a chat between father and son?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Thank you for reading! And thank you so much for reviewing! (Thanks to SlightlyPsychoPrincess who wrote 5 reviews in one day)


	12. AN

Hi everyone! I'd just like to inform you that I've edited the last 2 chapters to correct Blaine's reaction. I'm really sorry about the inconsistency. Thank you so much for the feedback so that I can improve on my writing! I'm checking the future chapters so that it doesn't happen again.

Once again, I'm really sorry about that! I'll definitely try to do better. And thank you so much for reading!


	13. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: Glee belongs to Fox**

**Warnings: References to homophobia and non-con**

_Whole sentences in italics represent the character's thoughts._

_**Whole sentences in italics and bolded represent flashbacks.**_

Note: Chapters 10 and 11 have been edited yesterday. Sorry for the inconvenience!

* * *

><p>Blaine kept his grip on the gun. He wasn't going to take any chances. He was in the presence of a man who had no qualms about killing.<p>

"What sick game are you playing this time? Are you bored out of your mind again?"

Edgar chuckled and leaned against the armrest. Lighting another cigar, he held one up to offer it to Blaine.

"You might die of lung cancer if you continue living off those," Blaine cautioned. He could have slapped himself. He didn't know why he continued to say such things, why he continued to _care_ for this man who hasn't been showing him much concern for a long time.

Apparently Edgar shared the same sentiments. Lowering his arm, he shook his head and teased, "You still act so…motherly in front of your old man."

_Do I still irritate him? Am I still too weak?_

Blaine lowered his eyes and whispered, "Does that bother you?"

Edgar simply exhaled a mouthful of smoke and flicked some more ash onto the floor.

"Why did you call me here? To tell me how much I've disappointed you?"

Edgar sighed and reached out a hand to lift Blaine's head. It was a strange feeling. Blaine couldn't remember the last time his father touched him.

_That's because he has no rights to do so._

Moving his head away and straightening himself, Blaine took a long, hard look at his father's face.

Somewhere beneath those layers tainted by the blood he spilled, he could see the man who sat at the breakfast table every morning reading the papers while his mother stood at the stove.

This was the same man who promised to teach him how to drive a car when he grew up, but he ended up taking lessons from his neighbor instead.

Edgar struggled to find the right words to say and after a minute, he finally explained, "Blaine, I may not approve of your…lifestyle. Homosexuality is something I'm new to, and it's something I'm uncomfortable with. Am I disappointed that my son didn't turn out exactly the way that I wanted him to? I don't know, Blaine. But that doesn't mean that that I wish to disown you. You're still my son."

Something hot bubbled in his stomach and Blaine quickly turned away.

_Does he expect me to believe that crap? _

Edgar made him suffer through four years of doing everything against his conscience, four years of nightmares and guilt from the things he was forced to do. Nothing could ever make up for it.

"What about your supposed _right hand man_?"

"Honestly Blaine, whatever he is has little to no impact on me. We have no blood relations."

"First off, you're just being unreasonable but I really can't bring myself to worry about it anymore. Secondly, I am gay and I'm married to a man I love. I don't care what you think, I-"

"You can try lying to yourself," Edgar interrupted, "But you do care. You care too much. That's what makes you vulnerable."

There was a tiny pause. Blaine could feel his father studying him, waiting for him to show signs of weakness.

"That also makes you human."

His eyes widened in disbelief and he quickly snapped his head up to look at the greying man sitting beside him.

_What?_

"Blaine, trying to change you is like trying to pull the teeth out of a whale. I'll be handing the company over to someone else. Maybe I'll give it to Hugh. He appears to be fairly interested in this business."

Blaine clenched his fist at the mention of that name. It took him everything he had to swallow the lump that rose to his throat and he continued to stare at Edgar skeptically. Edgar raised his brow and remarked, "I was under the impression that you hated this lifestyle. Well, I'm providing you a way out."

"And why," Blaine questioned through gritted teeth, "Why are you doing this now? You could have done it ages ago. You could have spared me, spared us, the ruthless killings and lies."

Edgar simply shrugged and tossed the cigar onto the floor.

"There are many things I could have done. I guess at some point, I realized that fighting you isn't what I wanted to do. At some point, I lost myself. We weren't always like this. We used to spend our Sundays watching those strange musicals you were so fond of when your mother was still around."

Giving Blaine a pat on the knee, Edgar pushed himself off the couch and tightened the tie that hung loosely around his neck.

_That was a long time ago._

"Well I should get going. I need to make some arrangements. I'll get someone to discuss more details with you soon."

As he approached the gateway, he stopped and looked like he was struggling to find the right words to say something. Blaine continued to watch him when he apologized, "And…I'm sorry. I'm sorry for letting the company destroy our relationship. I know that you won't forgive me. I just wanted you to know that I am so very sorry for everything."

Blaine slowly rose from the chair. He didn't want to let this moment go. It was crazy, he was an idiot, and he didn't know if he would regret it, but he wanted to hold onto this. This could be the last time he had a chance to get his father back. They would never have an ideal father and son relationship, but it would be better than _this_.

Nothing could ever make up for the past, but they could stop walking down the same path of loathing and ignoring each other in the future.

"Dad, I-"

The door flew open and Hugh stepped in. He loaded the gun in his hand and held it to Edgar's head.

"Good morning Mister Anderson."

* * *

><p>Jeff was practically shaking in his seat as he chewed on his fingernails nervously. He was swinging his legs back and forth as he struggled to remain seated.<p>

Wes closed his eyes and tried to ignore it, but it irritated him to no end.

"Jeffrey, stop shaking the seats. You're giving us a headache."

"But I can't! We're sitting here like some obedient bitches while Blaine is hanging out with that disgusting, miserable piece of shit. And Kurt is just lying there because we _fucked up._ We can't just sit here! We should have followed Blaine. I'll give anything to give that old bastard a piece of my mind. I swear-"

"Jeff!" Nick snapped as he slapped a hand over Jeff's mouth to shut him up. Jeff pushed his hand away and pouted, turning to face away from everyone.

They were sitting in tensed silence when the door creaked open and Kurt gingerly stuck his head out.

Sebastian jumped to his feet before remembering that he was injured and winced.

"Kurt! Are you feeling better?"

Kurt pulled the door open and gave a tentative nod before whispering, "You can come in."

Once everyone was settled, he took the pillow and held it to his chest. He looked at Sebastian warily. He knew that it wasn't Sebastian's fault, but every time he looked at his face, images of that night resurfaced.

No matter how hard he tried to push it to the back of his mind, he could never forget it.

When Sebastian moved a little closer, his shoulders tensed involuntarily.

"Kurt, I-"

"I know it's not your fault. I just need to let that sink in. And I'll be honest: the fact that I'm in a room filled with people experienced with…with murder scares me."

The ex-Warblers inhaled sharply and lowered their eyes. This was the one thing they had been trying so hard to avoid: Kurt, the person they'd been trying so hard to protect, was afraid of them.

"But…I'm trying. Somehow I still see the boys in blazers jumping around the choir room, I still see friends who provided me a safe sanctuary from the bullying. You've accepted me for who I am, and despite your occasional insanity, I love you. Just give me a little time to come to terms with…things."

Kurt paused for a moment before asking carefully, "Were…were you forced into this?"

David jumped to his feet and exclaimed, "Of course we were! I can't…you know we won't…we will never, ever get into this whole…business voluntarily."

Kurt flinched and David immediately plopped himself back on the chair. Lowering his head in embarrassment, he mumbled, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

Kurt rubbed his temple and sighed, "I don't know what I can do, but is there a way to get you out of this?"

Wes folded his arms and replied, "We don't know. We have discussed it, but honestly, we don't see a way out."

"We'll…we'll work it out," Kurt told them, "I can't just stand by and watch you do…this. I may not be of much help, but that doesn't mean that we should stop trying."

A few of them sniffled and Nick clenched his pants tightly. They didn't know what to think. Even though they hated it, even though they prayed that it will never, ever happen, they were prepared for rejection. Now, Kurt was actually trying to _help_ them.

He continued to _love_ them.

Reaching out a shaky hand and resting it on Jeff's, Kurt added, "And…I didn't mean to hurt any of you. It's just a little hard for me to come to terms with everything."

Jeff gave him a weak smile and brushed his thumb over Kurt's wrist repeatedly. Using the other hand to dry his eyes, he nodded in understanding and remarked, "We know. We've also done things we didn't mean to do. This is more than we can ever ask for. Can you forgive us for hiding, for keeping you out of this for so long?"

Kurt took a deep breath and straightened his back.

"Well, sometimes my mouth can be a little too fabulous for some people, including myself. I guess we're even."

Trent gave a delighted squeal and wanted to throw himself at Kurt but stopped when Kurt flinched again.

There was an awkward pause before Kurt opened his arms.

"I…I'll need some time to get used to this. Just keep your hands away from my hair. I finally managed to brush them."

They slowly wrapped their arms around him, giving him time to adjust to it.

_These boys are your friends. You're not in that place. You're here with them._

Taking a deep breath, Kurt allowed the feeling of _home_ to fill his senses.

_We'll make it, somehow._

They were in the middle of a Warbler hug when Kurt realized that something was missing. The hand that was supposed to be holding his shoulder the same way Blaine touched his since high school wasn't there.

Blaine wasn't there.

Kurt gently pushed everyone off and licked his lips nervously.

"Where's Blaine?"

His friends exchanged nervous looks and David stammered, "Well…He…He has gone to visit…someone."

Kurt's chest tightened uncomfortably and there was a strange noise in his ears. Everything around him sounded a little muffled. Somewhere inside, he knew where Blaine had gone, but he hoped that he was wrong.

"Who is he visiting?"

Sebastian finally groaned and gave in.

"Edgar Maddox Anderson."

Kurt jumped to his feet and yelled in panic, "Are you crazy? You let him _leave_? That man is insane!"

He grabbed a jacket from the bedside table and pulled the sleeves over his arms. Thad shot to his side in alarm and grabbed his shoulders. Kurt gave a startled yelp and pressed himself up against the wall, eyes wide with fear.

Thad immediately took a step back and stammered, "Shit, Kurt. I'm sorry. I…I didn't mean to-"

"It's…fine. I just need some time. Stop blaming yourselves."

Lowering his arms and clenching his fists, Thad nodded and asked, "Where are you going?"

Kurt replied quietly, "I have to find him. I won't let Blaine face this alone. It's time I stop being so helpless. I'm his husband, and I should be acting like one."

"Listen here Kurt: You are _not_ helpless. And even if we're actually crazy enough let you out of here, there's nothing much we can do. Blaine could be anywhere!" Thad tried to reason. Kurt sighed and looked at him pointedly.

"Your persuasion skills are hopeless, Thad, hopeless. I'm not stupid. We know where they've gone."

Thad sighed in exasperation and folded his arms while Jeff threw an arm over his shoulders.

Looking at Kurt, he chuckled, "I knew you had it in you. Nicky here was smart enough to drive the car over. It'll be a tight squeeze, but we'll fit."

As they made their way to the door, Wes stood in their way and gave them a hard glare. Even Kurt shrunk back a little but managed to hold his ground.

"I don't care what you say, I'm not staying here."

It took a moment before Wes's eyes softened and he gave Kurt an awkward smile. He grabbed the keys and declared, "I'm driving. I don't trust anyone here with our lives. You act like a bunch of teenagers on a permanent adrenaline high."

* * *

><p>Blaine froze in his tracks.<p>

_What the hell is he doing here?_

The room was completely silent but Blaine was certain that they could hear the pounding of his heart.

Blaine wrapped his trembling fingers around the cool metal of the gun hidden in his jacket. A warm heat bubbled in his chest. Taking measured breaths, he tried to keep his cool.

_He hurt Kurt. He __**hurt**__ him. I'll kill him. I swear I'll kill him._

He lifted his arm to pull the gun out but something stopped him. It wasn't a feeling he was unfamiliar with, but why was he feeling it now? It definitely wasn't his first time seeing someone with a loaded gun, so he didn't know why he was _afraid_.

_If you do anything, your father could end up dead._

Gritting his teeth, he cursed under his breath and his eyes flickered over to Edgar for a brief moment. Edgar continued to look at Hugh indifferently. If he was worried about the possibility of being shot, he hid it very well. He was the very embodiment of calmness when he greeted Hugh monotonously, "What a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect to see you here."

Apparently his lack of any fear surprised Hugh as well because his arm jerked back a little but he managed to hold it in place.

Giving them a dirty look, Hugh snarled, "I didn't know that the president was so weak. You're supposed to be the man who led the team on two hundred successful assassinations. I didn't expect to walk in on something so…touching."

"There isn't much I can say about that; I was just having a conversation with my son. You really shouldn't eavesdrop on others, especially your elders. What exactly do you wish to achieve with that gun?"

"I'll kill you. I'll spare the rest of us, the strong ones, from further humiliation. We don't need a leader like you."

Turning to look at Blaine, he growled, "We don't need a leader like _him_ either."

When Hugh began to press down on the trigger, Blaine yelled, "No!"

A strange expression flashed across Edgar's face but he kept his eyes on the man in front of him.

"Dad, what are you doing? Just tell him. Tell him that you'll be handing every-"

"Keep quiet. I don't need someone as pathetic as you to tell me what to do," Edgar warned sharply. Blaine's mouth snapped shut.

_What's going on?_

Turning back to Hugh, Edgar continued to show no signs of panic.

To the others, it seemed like he wasn't afraid of losing anything. But Edgar's composure presented itself quite differently to Blaine.

_He's ready to throw his life away._

Blaine wanted to step forward. He wanted his father to look at him. He wanted his father to see that even though he could never completely forgive him, they could still try to salvage whatever remains of a relationship they had left. They could try to start a new life. It would take a long time, but somehow they'll make it work.

There were so many things to live for.

But he couldn't. Something about his father made him helpless. For the first time in his life, Blaine could see it in those dark eyes. Edgar was _exhausted_.

Their eyes met for a split second and Blaine closed his eyes.

Edgar looked at Hugh evenly and whispered, "Do it."

Blaine heard a gunshot. It was the same sound he heard so many times before, yet this one seemed a hundred times louder. Every fiber in his body tensed and he couldn't move.

He was unable to yell, knock the gun out of Hugh's hand or pull out that bloody gun and just fire it.

_Move, you idiot! Do something!_

But that look in his father's eyes conveyed one message. He didn't want to be saved. He wanted things to end.

"_**Who's that man in that Dior suit at the back? I don't remember inviting him to our engagement party."**_

"_**He's…just an acquaintance."**_

_**Kurt lifted a hand and touched his collar. Looking into those hazel eyes, Kurt whispered, "Blaine?"**_

_**Blaine moved closer to join their lips for a chaste kiss and reached out to bury his fingers in those silky hazel strands.**_

"_**He's a man I love and hate."**_

_**Taking a deep breath, Kurt held his hand and said, "Blaine, in some ways...I'm thankful for him. If not for him, I'd never have met you. And the fact that he actually came shows that he does care about you. But you know what? It doesn't matter who he is. You're Blaine, and I love you because you are you."**_

"_**Kurt, you-"**_

"_**Living with such strong dislike is tiring. I'm not asking you to forgive him, because I know that he has hurt you, hurt us, in so many ways. There's no need to force yourself to love or accept him, but perhaps it's time to let go of that hatred."**_

Another person was going to die today, but this time he wasn't the one pulling the trigger.

Keeping his eyes closed, Blaine felt something inside him rip into two. He has finally allowed himself to let it go, but it was too late.

This was it.

It was goodbye.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Thank you for reading! And thank you for the feedback! If there are any suggestions to further improve on my writing please feel free to inform me. I can't thank you enough for your understanding. And to those who wrote reviews, thank you so much!

To Vanbrig: Thank you for the tip! I'll keep that in mind. I hope Kurt sounds more in character now. Oh, and you don't sound nitpicky or preachy. Thanks for taking the time to help me with my writing.

To chrishummel: I'll try adding the talk in. Thanks for the suggestion!

I'd just like to say that I'm aware that one's sexual orientation is not a choice. And to quote Darren Criss, you fall in love with a person and not a gender. I definitely do not agree with Edgar's views on sexuality, but it was implied in season 2 that he may not be so accepting of it and I wanted to preserve that. I hope I did not offend anyone in any way.


	14. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Glee belongs to Fox**

* * *

><p>Blaine didn't know how long he had been sitting on the floor. Time seemed to have come to a standstill as he stared blankly ahead.<p>

He could see sunlight filtering through the dusty windows. He could see the door leading to the adjacent room where the wood was stained with dried blood. And there, right in front of him, was a man lying face down on the floor.

He was dead.

Blaine tried to look for any signs that indicated that he was still alive, but his father's shoulders remained still. He hasn't been breathing for a while now. Somewhere out of the corner of his eyes, he vaguely registered seeing Hugh leave, but even though he screamed for his legs to move, he found himself incapable of doing anything.

After some time, Blaine dragged himself over to the fallen body and brushed a hand across his father's hair. They were as straight as ever, much unlike the curly mop on Blaine's head. He remembered his parents' attempts to straighten it, but nothing worked. No matter what they did, he remained an anomaly in the family. He could never fit the mold.

A shadow fell over him from the doorway and he heard an astonished gasp.

Lifting his head slowly, Blaine turned around and saw his friends standing at the entrance. His eyes gravitated to the corner of the group. Kurt was standing there, petrified. When their eyes met, he slowly pushed Thad and David aside so that he could get closer to Blaine.

When he stepped into the room, he froze. Everything that happened here came rushing back to him.

_Chains, hands, pain, death_

Kurt wanted to turn around and walk away, but he couldn't. Not when he saw Blaine looking so scared. Swallowing his fear and taking measured breaths to ease the sudden tightness in his chest, he moved forward. Stopping in front of Blaine, Kurt lowered himself onto the ground. He then reached out to cup Blaine's cheeks gently before pressing a kiss to his forehead.

Blaine broke out of his daze and blinked. He didn't know when he started to cry, but he found himself sobbing helplessly into Kurt's shoulder. Kurt was rubbing his back soothingly and he closed his eyes before taking a deep breath.

Kurt was here with him.

For the first time in a while, he felt _protected_.

Their friends slowly filtered into the room and stood around awkwardly, not really knowing what to say or feel.

The man who robbed them of their lives, the man who hurt them so badly was finally dead, so why didn't they feel happy? They were relieved, yes, but there was no joy to be felt.

Wes exchanged a look with Sebastian and nodded. Clearing his throat, he said, "We have to get going. The president is dead. Someone is going to notice and they'll start looking. It isn't safe for us to stay here."

Sebastian scratched the back of his ear and added, "Hugh will probably return to the company and put the blame on us. We need to get back."

Blaine removed himself from Kurt's embrace and quickly rubbed his tears away. Taking a deep breath, he extended a hand to close his father's eyes. Blaine turned back to look at Kurt before glancing at his friends.

"I told you to stay there. I told you to keep him safe. Why did you bring him back here?"

Thad bit the inside of his cheek and tried to explain, "Well, we…we were really worried about you and-"

"I forced them to get me out. Blaine," Kurt said gently, "even though being back here reminds me of…things…even though it scares me, I'm not letting you do this alone."

"What are you doing out of the hospital? Kurt, you shouldn't be seeing this. You…you shouldn't have to deal with it."

Kurt interlaced their fingers and their eyes connected for a moment. Lifting Blaine's hands to his lips, Kurt kissed his knuckles gently and whispered, "I'm not leaving you, ever. I know that you're figuring a way to break out of this…job, and I don't know how much I can do, but I want to help."

"But you shouldn't get involved. Kurt, we are _killers_, and you've just…you've been through enough. I don't…I don't want to hurt you. I'm-"

"Blaine," Kurt interjected, "You deserve as much happiness as I do. All of you deserve it. Sometimes it's a struggle and we have to fight for it, but you don't have to do it alone. Please, please stop pushing me away. I can't just stand aside and see you _hurt_ people even though you hate it, even though you're trying to stop."

"Kurt, I can't let you get hurt again. I _can't_."

"Then stop. Stop rejecting me. Blaine, why can't you see that standing aside watching you being forced to do things against your will hurts me more than anything else? Blaine, I want to help."

Untangling their fingers and reaching over to brush Kurt's cheeks, Blaine continued to look at him as if he couldn't believe that someone as beautiful as Kurt was right in front of him.

"Kurt, I..."

_He deserves better than this. _

Pressing their foreheads together, Blaine sighed and whispered, "I love you." The smile that Kurt gave in return still made his heart skip a beat, and he moved closer to give Kurt a tiny peck on the cheek.

Blaine turned to look at the rest of them and tried to keep his voice steady. He wasn't Blaine Anderson-Hummel leading the team on another job. He was simply Blaine, a man working with his friends, his _family_, to break out of something that suffocated them for so long.

Taking a deep breath, Blaine pushed himself off the floor and extended a hand to help Kurt up.

"Let's go."

* * *

><p>David slammed the breaks and they jerked to a violent stop at a narrow alleyway.<p>

Kurt tried to fight the nausea that rose to his throat before he unbuckled his seatbelt and hopped out of the car cautiously.

"Where…where are we?"

Blaine reached out a hand and held his wrists gently. Kurt jerked back a little, memories of chains that bounded him to the wall still fresh in his mind. But the familiar feeling of cool fingers that belong to the man he pledged his life to slowed the rapid pounding in his chest.

Blaine quickly withdrew his fingers but Kurt reached out to grab them.

"It's okay."

Holding Kurt's carefully moisturized hand in his, Blaine gave him a tiny nod before he replied, "We're at a tiny road that leads to the backdoor of Anderson Company, also known as Anderson Buildings and Co."

Kurt found himself being pushed along by the other Warblers as he kept his hand in Blaine's.

"I expected a more…majestic entrance. Still, I can't believe Anderson Buildings and Co. doesn't exist. You managed to hide it for three years!"

Trent cleared his throat and corrected, "Four years."

"What?"

"We've managed to hide it for four years. Blaine has been keeping it quiet for his whole life though."

Kurt pursed his lips and decided to keep his comments to himself. There were so many things he didn't know about Blaine. Biting his lip nervously, he looked at the curly haired man.

Staring at his face, Kurt felt a strange sensation of reassurance. There were many things he didn't know, but one thing was for certain: Blaine loves him. He was still the same boy Kurt stopped on the stairs at Dalton. He might have been exposed to many things, he might have done things that Kurt couldn't bring himself to think of, but he's still _Blaine_.

They stopped in front of a gate and Blaine removed a rectangular card from his breast pocket. Opening the door and sticking his head in warily, he turned around and gestured for them to follow him.

One by one, they disappeared into the doorway. Nick soon found himself standing alone in the alleyway as he chewed his lip nervously. He didn't like this at all.

A firm hand reached out to grab his shoulder and he looked up to see Jeff flashing him a confident grin.

"Come on Nicky, we don't want to miss any action."

With a gentle thug, Nick found himself engulfed in darkness as Jeff pulled him through those gates.

He slammed into a sturdy back and stumbled a little but the hand on his shoulder kept him steady. It turned out that he ran into Trent who was busy fumbling around for his mobile phone.

"I don't want to get killed by a bunch of clumsy idiots just because we can't see in the dark," he explained as he pulled the tiny device out and turned the flashlight on.

Trent held the phone up and they managed to find the door leading to the staircase. Blaine pulled his gun out and loaded it, using two hands to hold it steady.

"Blaine?"

"Don't worry, my love. It's just a precaution."

Kurt eyed the weapon cautiously and took a deep breath.

He had been threatened with the very same thing in a tiny car; he had even seen someone getting killed by it.

But this was his husband. These were his friends.

_They won't hurt anyone on purpose. _

Wes looked at Sebastian and frowned.

"Sebastian, we need to figure a way to get you up."

Sebastian snorted and handed his clutches over to Thad.

"Dude, what do you expect me to do with these?"

"Just dump it somewhere if it becomes too much of a hassle. I told you, the wound looked worse than it actually was. The bleeding probably added to it but it really isn't a big deal. I've taken some morphine so it doesn't hurt much. I'll just need some help along the way."

Wes nodded and reached over to wrap an arm around his waist and slung Sebastian's arm over his shoulder.

"Alright, let's go. Just tell us to stop if you need a break. There's no need to act like a superhero," Wes cautioned.

"I don't understand why you came in the first place. We don't need some idiot with a hero complex," Thad teased before poking Sebastian in the arm playfully.

"You babies can't do a thing without me. And I do not have a hero complex. Can we start moving?"

They made their way up the stairs and kept Kurt in the middle of the group. Even though Kurt hadn't undergone any special training in recent years, the training he took as a Cheerio and exercises he did daily to keep a slim figure proved useful. Despite his injury, Sebastian still managed to climb to the seventeenth floor before Blaine shot an arm out to stop them.

"Hugh's office should be here."

Thad placed a hand on the doorknob and twisted it, pulling the door open slowly. Blaine slipped through the gap and they found themselves in the middle of a brightly lit corridor. They heard the echoes of approaching footsteps and Thad gave a nervous squeak.

Pushing Kurt behind him and stuffing the gun into his jacket, Blaine straightened himself and smiled at the lady who strutted past them. When she saw the group, she paused for a moment before she recognized Blaine and said, "Good afternoon Mister Anderson-Hummel. I didn't expect to see you here. I was under the impression that you weren't allowed to come up to the upper floors."

Blaine felt his palms start to sweat as he lied, "I just had a tiny disagreement with Mister Anderson but that has been resolved."

The lady seemed to consider this for a moment before she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Jeff's grip on Nick's hand tightened and there was a tensed silence before the lady nodded and continued making her way down the corridor.

Kurt poked his head out from behind Blaine and gave an audible sigh of relief. David muttered, "If we keep going at this rate, I won't be surprised if I died of stress or shock."

Thad nodded in agreement and opened his mouth to speak but snapped it shut when Blaine stopped in front of a door.

_**Hugh Fernandez**_

"Hugh Fernandez? Hugh Fernandez? Are you fucking kidding me? The Charlotte who lost her life to save us is related to this shithead?" Jeff spat in disbelief.

Kurt closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He didn't like this, but he wasn't going to turn back.

_Get a hold of yourself. He's not here. He's not here._

Repeating those three words in his head like a mantra, Kurt felt a tiny hand slip into his. Nick was holding his hand firmly and he gave Kurt a reassuring look.

"He won't do anything," Nick whispered, "We've failed you once, Kurt. We won't fail you again."

Kurt squeezed his hand and smiled weakly. He opened his mouth to correct Nick, to tell him that it wasn't their fault, that they hadn't failed, but Sebastian interrupted him.

"What the hell? When did we have a magical card that opens all the doors? I had to carry a bunch of them around." Sebastian asked as Blaine pulled out the same card and slipped it into the lock. Stepping forward to take a closer look, he gave Blaine an irritated glare and pouted, "You could have given it to me earlier so I wouldn't have to look like an idiot shuffling through a deck of them to find the right one."

"My father insisted on having a centralized for every room in this building. He didn't want to take any chances and made sure that he could gain access to everything. You don't actually expect him to carry two hundred cards around, do you?"

After a couple of failed attempts, Blaine finally managed to unlock the door.

The room looked just like the other rooms in the building. There was a computer on the table, a metal cabinet against the walls, and a few chairs placed in front of the desk. On the edge of the table was a framed photograph. A very young Charlotte was standing in the middle, her hand buried in Hugh's hair as she smiled cheekily at the camera. Hugh looked annoyed, but gritted his teeth and gave a reluctant grin.

Sensing Kurt and Blaine's uneasiness, Nick reached over and placed the photograph face down on the table.

"There, now we don't have to see his face."

Rubbing his neck in discomfort, Trent said, "Seeing Charlotte's face gives me the urge to hit myself."

Kurt looked around in confusion and Wes explained, "She tried to help us but things didn't go as planned." Swallowing the bitter lump that rose to his throat, Kurt lowered his gaze.

He was aware of what he was getting into, but there were still things he found hard to grasp.

_But it doesn't matter. We came to end things today. They won't have to deal with this for much longer. It'll be okay._

They studied the room for a while before Blaine went over to turn the computer on.

"Wes, do you mind coming over here? I'll need your help."

Wes stepped to the front and hunched over the keyboard.

"What do you need me to do?"

Blaine stared at the screen and furrowed his eyebrows in concentration as he tried to come up with a plan. He rubbed his cheek with his hand and said, "This isn't the best idea, but we have to get things done fast so it'll have to do."

There was a pause.

"Wes, I want you to kill us."

"What?" Wes asked, flabbergasted. Everyone turned to look at Blaine with varying degrees of horror.

Blaine shot his hands out defensively and tried to explain, "No, I'm not asking you to literally _kill _us. Just make us _appear_ dead. Corrupt our files and say that we were killed in action. I know it sounds stupid, but it should work."

Wes nodded and plopped himself down on the armchair before he began typing furiously. Kurt stood at the back awkwardly and asked, "Are you sure that's enough? I mean, you are the president's son. Won't people be keeping tabs on you?"

Blaine lowered his eyes and replied, "They know that I exist, but not many people know about me. I think Dad was…ashamed of me. People know that I am…was the appointed heir, but that's about it. Only a few people like Charlotte and _that man_ actually know about my personal background."

"Yeah," Jeff added as he looked at Kurt, "They still think that you're a girl."

Kurt's jaw dropped and he didn't know if he was supposed to feel offended.

"We didn't want that to happen!" Trent protested weakly, "The president didn't allow us to correct the others when they assumed that Blaine extended his family name to include his wife's." He cowered a little from the glare Kurt was giving him. Blaine looked up from the computer and called his name softly, "Kurt." Upon hearing his husband's voice, Kurt turned around to give him a weak smile and Thad dropped his head in relief.

Jeff shuddered and muttered, "Fuck. Dude, one day we'll have to find some way to protect ourselves from that. Your bitch glares are lethal."

"Don't call me dude. And just don't do anything stupid and you're safe. I don't know why that seems like such a hard concept to grasp."

Nick giggled and Jeff threw him a death glare, but he simply stuck his tongue out before giving Jeff a fond smile.

For a moment, only the sound of furious typing could be heard before Sebastian's head snapped towards the door and he narrowed his eyes. Carefully pushing himself off the chair, he slowly reached into the inner pocket of his jacket. Blaine lifted his head to look at him before turning to face the door as well. Wes continued keeping his eyes glued to the screen as he tried to revise their files.

He was working on the last folder when the door flew open.

Hugh was standing at the doorway with a Styrofoam cup in his hand and he looked at them expectantly.

Kurt felt his throat constrict. It was getting a little harder to breathe. He was standing in the same room as the man who made him feel so dirty, as the man who stripped him of his dignity. Hugh finally noticed him and a strange smile began to spread across his face.

"Beautiful, I didn't think that I would see you again so soon."

Kurt took a step back and Blaine spat, "Don't call him that."

_Not yet. Not yet. Get a hold of yourself. Wes has to complete his job first. Don't lose it._

Hugh kept the door open as he stepped further into the room.

"I don't think you have any authority to tell me what to do, Anderson. With a touch of the finger, I can kill you. Everyone in this tower is on my side. They know nothing about you, while I'm the president's right hand man."

He paused before continuing in a voice replete with mock sympathy, "Sadly, he's dead. But they don't know that yet, so it doesn't matter."

Blaine glanced at the keyboard and saw Wes quietly pressing 'enter'. He had successfully completed it. Blaine Anderson-Hummel, Sebastian Smythe, Trent Nixon, Nick Duval, Jeff Sterling, Wesley Montgomery, Thad Harwood and David Thompson were now dead to the world.

Blaine calmly pulled the gun out of his jacket and pointed it at Hugh.

"Oh, are you really going to kill me? Considering the fact that you are daddy's boy, I don't think that you'll have the guts. You had a hundred chances to do so, but for some reason, you chose not to."

Blaine closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them again.

_This is just like any other job you've done. One bullet per kill, don't waste it._

Looking at Hugh in the eye, he whispered, "You're right. I _chose_ not to. But after what you did to Kurt, after what you did to my father, I'll not be so kind."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Thank you so much for reading! And a very big thank you for those who have taken the time to write reviews!

The family names of the Warblers were taken from GleeWiki.

There are about two more chapters to the end of this fanfiction.

To Yuna Nohako: I apologize for the late reply! I'll add in some hurt/comfort with 'the talk' (as suggested by chrishummel). Thank you so much for the suggestions!

To spike4561: I'm really sorry but I didn't really get the first part. Does the 'Yes they do' refer to Edgar's comment? I'll try to make Kurt appear more like a 'victim' from now on but if it's still an issue then I'll try to rewrite chapter 12. And erm...I kinda wanted to make both the Warblers and Kurt 'victims', but at the same time portray Kurt and someone who is not as weak as they thought he was. But I'll definitely revise the chapters to make him a little more vulnerable. Thanks for the feedback!


	15. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Glee belongs to Fox**

**Warnings: Character deaths (OCs), references to past non-con, violence**

I apologize for the slight delay

_Whole sentences in italics represent the character's thoughts_

* * *

><p>Hugh's eyes widened in surprise and he took a hurried step back. Blaine glanced at Nick for a brief second and he nodded in understanding. Scrambling over to Kurt's side, Nick wrapped a comforting arm around Kurt and pressed Kurt's face against his chest.<p>

Kurt didn't need to see this. He had seen enough.

Kurt gave a startled jolt. Sensing his distress, Nick held him closer and whispered, "It's just me."

"Nick, what's going on?" Kurt asked, his voice muffled by the fabric.

"Blaine is just going to…get things over with. It's alright," Nick replied.

Kurt knew that he should stop this. They came here to stop things, not to hunt down anyone else or seek revenge, but he couldn't.

He closed his eyes and felt an involuntary shiver run down his spine. A bitter lump rose to his throat and his eyes hurt. There was a pounding in his head as memories threatened to resurface, but Kurt tried to push them back.

_Shut up. Shut up. Please, please shut up._

Hugh kept his eyes focused on the man before him and licked his rapidly drying lips nervously.

"Blaine, you won't do it. Are you really going to add me to the long list of people who have died in your hands?"

There was a pause, and Blaine spoke so quietly that Kurt had to strain his ears to hear.

"Exactly, so what's the different of adding you to that list? Be thankful I'm ending yours quickly."

"Please, don't-"

Panic rose to his chest and a voice in his head screamed for him to tell his husband to stop, but somewhere inside, he was reluctant to do so.

_He killed Blaine's father, and…_

There was a sound of something bursting through the air and liquid spilling over the marbled floor, but Kurt couldn't see anything. Nick continued to keep his face pressed against his chest as Blaine instructed them to leave before the others arrived. Someone grabbed his hand and guided them out the door.

Nick released him and he was surrounded by white walls and beige tiles as they hurried down the corridor. Blaine led them through another door and up the stairs.

"Sebastian?" Trent asked worriedly.

Sebastian looked back at their concerned faces and snapped, "Stop it. I'm fine. This isn't the first time we're dealing with this. Just go."

Jeff stepped forward and said airily, "Look, don't worry your pretty little heads; I'll help him."

_It's dangerous. He could get seriously injured._

Kurt opened his mouth to protest but a calloused hand stopped him. He looked up at Blaine and found the words stuck in his throat.

_They're no longer a group of helpless teens. They've done this before._

Interlacing their fingers, Blaine said, "I trust you, but don't push yourself."

"Blaine-"

"Too many people have died today. I don't need any one of my teammates to add to that figure."

Sebastian gave him a teasing smile and replied, "Yes sir."

Giving Kurt's hand a gentle tug, Blaine led them up the stairs. When they reached the twenty-eighth story, the staircase came to an end.

"This is it," Blaine whispered as he fished the card out of his pocket and opened the door.

They were surrounded by machines and screens, each one showing different sections of the building. A man sitting in front of the computer quickly rose from his seat but before he could do anything else, his froze and fell to his knees.

Kurt turned around and saw David stuffing a gun back into his belt. Giving him a sheepish grin, David apologized, "Sorry about that. We don't want the whole tower to come looking for us."

"I…I know that…But there are other ways to do this," Kurt sighed.

David bit his lip and stammered, "I'm sorry. It…It'll take some getting used to and I'll work on it. Kurt-"

"I know. Just remember why we came here in the first place."

"Exactly," Jeff echoed from somewhere behind them, "Remember why we came here. Get moving!"

When Blaine cleared his throat, Jeff grunted, "Sorry dude, but I'm sweating like crazy while you guys are just standing around doing nothing."

Wes and Nick threw themselves into the leather armchairs and began pressing a hundred different buttons that made Kurt a little cross-eyed.

"What do you need us to do?"

Blaine hurried to the front and glanced at his watch.

"Alter everything from the last 20 minutes and disable the cameras for the next half hour. That should give us enough time to leave."

Kurt simply stood at the side as he watched them in awe. It was the first time he saw them like this. They knew exactly what to do, yet they still looked to Blaine for instructions. Around him, they were teenagers with raging hormones who occasionally acted like adults; they sang obnoxiously at the top of their voices before having a 180 degree turn and becoming preppy school boys again.

It struck him how much they had gone through, and how they were forced to grow up.

"They're the computer whizzes," Jeff informed Kurt proudly, "I don't know how they do it. Nick kicked my ass in COD five times in a row. He says its beginners luck, but we don't believe it."

Kurt smiled and teased, "You're whipped."

Crossing his arms indignantly, Jeff retorted, "Not as badly as you and Blaine are."

The door suddenly flew open and he found himself being pressed against Blaine as they crouched behind a table. He heard someone shout "Shit!" and Trent fell to the ground beside them.

"Trent?"

"I'm fine. Damn it. Blaine, I'm out." He let the empty magazine drop and Blaine sighed, "I told you not to waste them. I didn't bring extras." Handing his gun over, Blaine kept Kurt's face pressed up against him.

"Thanks Blaine."

Trent twisted his body around and fired the gun. The table shook as a body fell against it and Trent whistled.

"I'd love to stay, but I've to get going."

He slowly stuck his head out to take a look around before dashing off. Kurt shuddered and tried to keep himself calm. He wasn't used to this. He probably never will be. It was stupid, and they had gone through so much more, but Kurt couldn't push the fear away.

_Get a grip._

"It's okay to be afraid. You're not weak, Kurt. You snuck out of the hospital just a day after…everything. I'd be worried if you were perfectly calm."

_It'll be okay. It'll be alright. _

Lifting his head and looking into those beautiful hazel eyes, Kurt exhaled shakily and nodded. Pressing himself further into Blaine's embrace, he whispered, "I love you."

Blaine nuzzled against his hair and joked, "This really isn't an appropriate time, but I don't care."

"You're a dork."

"And you love me for it."

Kurt took a deep breath and chuckled.

"Kurt?"

"You're right. I do."

Blaine tightened his hold around Kurt's waist. He could still feel the trembling of his husband's shoulders and mentally slapped himself for allowing Kurt to follow them. Kurt had yet to change. Since high school, he tried to suppress his fears; he tried to appear strong in front of others. Even though he opened up a little more after they started going out, there were many things he continued to keep to himself.

Blaine moved forward to give Kurt a chaste kiss on the cheek but Jeff gave a sharp cry, "Duck!"

He dodged just in time as a bullet whizzed past his ear and hit a metal bar behind him. Pushing Kurt down onto the floor, he grabbed a silver knife and darted off.

"Blaine!"

Kurt tried to follow him but someone was holding him back. The fingers remained locked in a death grip as he attempted to pry them apart.

"Let me go!"

Wes whispered into his ear, "Kurt, stay here. Listen to me, it'll be alright. Don't do anything rash."

"No it won't! They have guns and…and…"

"He'll be okay. He has been trained for this, remember?"

Kurt stopped struggling and fell back against Wes's chest. He didn't want to remember. He didn't want to remember that these people he spent such a significant part of his life with had actually stolen the lives of others.

And yet, he wasn't afraid of them. It was crazy, but he didn't want to run away.

_I need them to be here with me_

Closing his eyes, he let the tension escape from his shoulders as he breathed, "I know. I know that you've done this before, but-"

There was a sharp cry of pain and Kurt shot up in alarm.

Wes clenched his jaw and muttered, "Shit."

He didn't know where the sudden surge of strength came from, but he managed to push Wes aside. Kurt scrambled to his feet and ran out from behind the table. He was vaguely aware of Wes calling his name but he didn't look back. He couldn't.

Blaine was standing right in front of him with a cut on his left cheek and an arm wrapped around him. The knife was held dangerously close to his neck.

"Honestly, I didn't expect you to be alive."

Kurt looked at the person who was choking his husband and froze. He recognized her from the picture on Hugh's table.

"Charlotte?" Thad gasped from somewhere behind him.

She pressed the knife against Blaine's neck and glared at them. Kurt noticed a tiny trickle of blood rolling down the silvered edge and onto the floor, but there was nothing he could do. She lowered her voice and growled, "You killed him."

Jeff looked at her and replied, "Charlotte, what the fuck are you talking about? Just let Blaine go."

She gave them an irritated hiss and Jeff snapped his jaw shut.

"The president was going to die. Hugh was going to take over. We could have taken everything but you _killed_ him."

Blaine shuddered.

"I worked for him for twenty-five years. He was a cruel man, I used to feel bad about the things he did, but it brought him power and money. I tried. I tried so hard for him to acknowledge my efforts, but he didn't give me _anything_."

She began to tremble and Blaine felt himself slip, so he struggled to regain his balance.

"And you decided that your brother could do the job."

Charlotte threw her head back and guffawed, "You are a bright child. I feel so sorry for you, Blaine. Your dad never loved you. He didn't even care about you."

_That's a lie. He loved me. _

_**No he didn't.**_

_Shut up. Even if he didn't, he cared about me. He-_

_**What the fuck are you on?**_

_He had a sick way of showing it, but he did care._

Perhaps he was lying to himself, but even though their relationship was strained, even though he made their life hell, Edgar still acknowledged that Blaine was his son.

Gritting his teeth, he whispered, "He did."

"What?"

"I said: he did," Blaine replied, raising his voice, "He tried to make me stand on my own. He knew that people could easily betray us, just like you betrayed him. He didn't want that to happen. Yes he was cruel and sick, and even if what he felt for me wasn't love, he did care. He just had a twisted way of showing it."

Blaine noticed the way Charlotte's grip slackened and he took the opportunity to break free. Elbowing her in the chest, he twisted the knife out of her hand and pinned her against the wall.

Running the sharp edge of the blade down her face, he was so tempted to plunge it into her neck. But before he could do so, slender fingers wrapped themselves around his wrist. Blaine turned to the side and saw Kurt looking at him.

With one simple word, he felt his walls collapse.

"Blaine."

He dropped the knife and lowered his eyes to the floor.

"Kurt…"

He struggled to stop his hands from shaking. Stuttered gasps escaped from his bruised lips and he tried to stop himself from bending over.

When did things become this way? When did he start resorting to _killing_ to get rid of those he hated?

With a shaky breath, Blaine looked at Charlotte and threw his fist against the wall just inches away from her face. She gave a startled yelp and her eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

Withdrawing his fist, he whispered, "Leave."

Charlotte didn't need to be told twice. She pushed herself off the wall and ran for the door, leaving the ex-Warblers and a few of her companions behind.

David stepped forward and wanted to go after her but Kurt stopped him.

"David, let it go."

Gritting his teeth, he spat, "Kurt, she could-"

"I don't know what she'll do, and neither do you. Even if you do catch up with her, what are you going to do? This has to stop somewhere."

The anger left his shoulders and David nodded in understanding.

He was right. It was time to stop.

Sebastian looked at his watch and sighed, "Come on, we have to go."

Kurt kept his eyes on Blaine as he nodded and gave his husband's jacket a tug. Blaine snapped out of his daze and looked at Kurt.

Hazel met glasz. Blaine couldn't explain it, but he had an overwhelming urge to dive into those arms that, despite how delicate they looked, managed to hold him up when he was about to fall.

The alarm sounded and Nick jumped. Looking around the room, he buried his hands in his hair and cried, "What do we do? We can't just _leave_. This room's a mess!"

Blaine felt beads of perspiration roll down his face as he tried to think. They had to get out fast, but the agency wouldn't ignore a pile of fallen bodies without finding someone to put the blame on. He was about to rip his hair out when he heard a familiar voice.

"Anderson, what the fuck are you still doing here?"

He spun around and saw Tristan standing at the door. He paid no attention to the state the room was in and was calmly holding the door open.

He looked at Blaine for a moment before letting his eyes wander over to Kurt. A strange smile spread across his face. The corners of his lips tilted upwards awkwardly. It looked like he hadn't smiled in fifty years.

"You must be Kurt Anderson-Hummel."

Kurt gave him a weary nod and reached out to shake his hand.

"I'm Tristan. You keep your man close, you hear me? I've known him since he was a baby. He's a pesky little brat."

Blaine continued staring at Tristan in confusion.

_What is he doing?_

Their eyes finally met and Blaine felt the air being sucked out of his lungs.

_No._

He didn't know if Tristan managed to read his mind, but before he could open his mouth to protest, he was being shoved out of the door.

"Tristan, what are you doing?" Trent cried, trying to fight against those muscular arms.

"Boy, I thought you were one of the smart ones. What do you think I'm doing? I'm saving your asses. Now go."

Blaine finally managed to find his voice and he yelled, "No! I'm not leaving you."

Tristan spared him a glance before turning to Sebastian. Blaine had no idea what was going on, but he saw them exchange a knowing look.

"Well done, kid. Well done. Old man Smythe would have been proud."

Sebastian bit his lip and turned to face Blaine. He shot his arms out and grabbed Blaine's waist.

"What the-"

"I'm sorry Blaine, but we have to go."

Blaine found himself being dragged away from the room and when he became too much of a hassle, someone threw him over their shoulders and carried him down the stairs.

He tried to fight. It was his fault. He couldn't let Tristan take the blame.

But he had to.

"Oh fuck. Oh shit, shit, shit," Jeff muttered under his breath as they pressed themselves up against the wall.

"What's the situation?"

Peeking out from the corner, Trent whispered, "Three men. They're the bastards who attacked us at the Hudmels. Two of them are above us and one below."

Nick reloaded his gun and looked at Blaine. Closing his eyes, Blaine took a deep breath and reopened them.

"Thad, cover me. I'll take the one at the bottom. Jeff, Nick, David, the ones above are yours. The rest of you will keep Kurt safe."

They nodded and darted off; leaving Kurt crouched between Sebastian, Wes and Trent. Kurt squeezed his eyes shut and covered his ears as he heard a series of gunshots and strangled cries.

_Please keep them safe. Please don't let them get hurt._

There was a yell from above and Kurt felt his throat constrict.

A hand shot out from the darkness and grabbed his shoulders. Panic exploded in his chest and he heard a strangled scream.

His throat hurt but the fear was suffocating him.

_Don't touch me. Don't touch me. Please, not again. Help. Blaine, help._

"Kurt," a muffled voice that sounded very far away whispered, "Kurt, it'll be okay. Come on, don't be afraid."

A warm body was pressed up against his and he tried to push it away, but this touch was different.

He wasn't being bounded to the walls. The heavy weight wasn't above him and his legs weren't forcefully spread apart. There was no pain that ripped through his lower half and no one was calling him those names that made him feel…dirty.

He wasn't there.

The strange screaming in his ears stopped. Opening his eyes, Kurt saw Sebastian looking at him anxiously. Taking a deep breath to unwind the knots in his stomach, Kurt tried to give him a weak smile.

"Are you feeling better?"

Giving him a shaky nod, Kurt mouthed 'Thank you' before resting his forehead against Sebastian's shoulder.

"What the fuck-"

Trent was slammed against the metal railings before he pushed himself off and threw a punch at the man that jumped on him. He tackled the man to the ground and they tumbled down a flight of stairs. Wes reached over to help but was preoccupied with another who had burst through the door on the eighteenth story.

Giving him a powerful kick in the chest, Wes managed to throw the man over the railings and Kurt watched as he fell fifteen stories down. He leaned over and stretched his arm out even though he knew that he couldn't do anything.

Someone was falling to his death while he simply stood by to watch.

_No._

Holding onto the railing as he lowered himself onto the floor, Kurt tried to swallow his tears.

_Why?_

"Kurt!"

Before he knew what was going on, someone grab his head and jerked it back forcefully.

Cool metal touched his temple and he closed his eyes, preparing for the inevitable but the grip slackened and he felt someone slump to the ground behind him.

Broad hands grabbed his face but he wasn't afraid. He could recognize this touch anywhere.

"My love, it's alright. We have to get moving."

Kurt opened his eyes and looked into Blaine's distraught ones. He nodded but before they could leave, the door on the twenty-eighth story slammed open and a man with tattoos stumbled out.

Blaine's eyes widened in horror and he yelled, "Tristan!"

Tristan didn't hear him as he pushed another man off. Blaine stared at the scene above him. Tristan was injured; he wasn't going to make it.

"Blaine, we have to go!" Jeff yelled as he grabbed his arms to drag him away.

Blaine gritted his teeth. If he turned back, they would never get out. He would be sacrificing nine lives for one.

_But he's my friend. I can't leave him behind. Do something._

He turned around and managed to climb a step before the man above him roared, "Anderson, I swear that if you don't leave now, I'll find a way to make your fucking life hell! Get lost!"

Clenching his fists so hard that he could feel his nails biting into his skin, Blaine choked back a sob and nodded. Reaching out to grab Kurt's hand, he pulled them down the stairs.

He felt a stinging pain in his chest that worsened with every step he took.

He was leaving a friend behind.

There was a loud shot and Blaine closed his eyes. He didn't know how, but he could feel it.

Tristan was dead.

Blaine felt his knees buckle and the next thing he knew, he was being pushed into a van. He fell onto his back but made no attempts to move.

The door slammed shut and he noticed that someone had stepped on the accelerator. They managed to get away.

They had succeeded, but why did everything _hurt_? He needed someone. He couldn't do this.

Closing his eyes, Blaine prayed that everything that happened the past two months was a nightmare.

It wasn't.

Everything was real and no amount of praying or begging could change it.

Taking a deep breath, he whispered, "_Kurt_."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Thank you for reading! And thank you so much for your reviews! I really appreciate all the encouragement and help you're giving me.

That's not really the end. I'm trying to write some kind of vehicle chase (because I don't think this really lives up to a 'battle') by watching more action movies and jotting some scenes down. I hope it'll work XD

To spike4561: Please don't ever feel bad for voicing your opinions! I've never thought of you as a hater. On the contrary, thank you so much for the feedback. I know rape may be quite a sensitive subject for some so I'm really grateful for any suggestions to improve. I do hope that Kurt's reaction is a little more realistic in this chapter, but if there are any other responses you'd like to see, do feel free to inform me. I'm writing the next chapter where Kurt talks to Blaine and the reality of what happened dawns on him so he's more distraught (because as of now, the fact that he was raped hasn't really sunken in yet and he pushes that to the back of his mind, focusing on helping his friends instead of dealing with his own feelings). But really, I'm very thankful for any feedback and thank you so much for your support!


	16. Chapter 15 Part 1

**Disclaimer: Glee belongs to Fox**

Thad kept his eyes on the road and tried not to look back. He could hear the shallow breaths Blaine was taking as he tried to get himself under control.

Kurt brushed a hand across his face and propped Blaine up against him.

"Sweetheart, it's okay. I'm here. We're here. You're not alone."

Blaine shuddered and felt the tightness in his chest gradually fade away. He hung his head in shame. He was their _leader _and he was supposed to be protecting Kurt, not the other way around.

Kurt seemed to sense his distress as he tightened his hold on Blaine.

"Hey, sometimes I can be strong as well."

Blaine gave a strangled laugh and pushed himself off his husband, holding himself up with his arms instead. He continued to keep his eyes on the floor when he said, "You've always been strong. You're much stronger than I am."

"I'm not. I still have nightmares about the times in high school, I still shudder at the thought of seeing Dad lie in the hospital bed, and…"

Blaine opened his mouth to protest but the car skidded off the road and Blaine jerked forward violently.

"Holy shit," Jeff whispered as he peeked out the window. David's jaw dropped and he scrambled for the fallen gun before yelling, "Fuck. Thad, drive faster you dumbass!"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Mister Know-It-All, but this is a bloody _van_, not a freaking Ferrari!"

Kurt was huddled against the seat as he looked around in confusion, his eyes wide and brimming with tears.

"Blaine?"

"Sweetheart, it'll be fine. Just stay low, alright?"

He found himself nodding numbly as the window to his right shattered and he gave an involuntary shriek.

Loading the gun while keeping an eye on the dark vehicle behind them, Blaine ordered, "Thad, keep the car steady."

"For the last time, it's a van! Where do you want me to go?" Thad snapped in exasperation.

"Just keep driving forward."

He kicked the door open and stuck the upper half of his body out. The van flew over a hump on the road and Kurt struggled to maintain his balance when Blaine fired the gun.

David whistled before he too took aim and pressed the trigger.

Pressing his hands against his ears and burying his face in his knees, Kurt tried to ignore the loud pounding in his head.

_Don't pass out. Don't pass out. _

The rearview mirror shattered and Thad twisted the steering wheel through ninety degrees.

Toppling over and crashing against the floor, Trent bellowed, "What the hell?"

"I'm sorry! But it's not every day a bullet flies past your window!"

Sebastian groaned and grabbed Thad's collar, pulling him off the seat forcefully. Thad made a small noise of irritation when Sebastian climbed into the driver's seat and took over.

"Sorry buddy, but I don't want any of us to die today."

Swerving off the main road, Kurt continued to keep his head down as Sebastian ran through the bushes and into a more forested area.

They could hear the crushing of leaves nearby but Sebastian managed to keep his cool. He couldn't panic. Not now. He was responsible for the lives of nine people.

"Oh God, oh God, what did we do to deserve this?" David muttered, grabbing a new magazine and shoving it into the gun.

Blaine fell to the ground beside him, his face gleaming with sweat but there was a faint smirk on his face.

"Tired already?" he asked, nudging David's elbow teasingly.

"What? No! Why don't you ask Mama Wes that question? He has been awfully quiet," David retorted before throwing Blaine a dirty look.

Wes snatched the gun out of David's hand and pushed him to the ground. Climbing over him and using his feet to kick him aside, Wes took over David's position and snorted indignantly.

The disturbing sound of gunshots echoed behind them and Blaine took a deep breath.

"Sebastian," he instructed, "slow the car down."

Trent's eyes widened in alarm and he hissed, "What-"

"Yes sir."

A slender arm found their way across Kurt's shoulders and there was a soft humming in his ear. Kurt found himself leaning against the tiny body beside him as gentle fingers reached into his hair.

"Nick, you know I don't like it when someone touches my hair," Kurt whispered, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice.

There was a soft chuckle but Nick didn't stop.

"Kurt," he began, "it's okay to cry. I brawled like a baby in the middle of our first mission. No one expects anything from you."

Those quiet words of comfort smashed the doors open and Kurt made no attempts to clean the salty tears.

_I'm scared. I'm scared. I'm really, really scared._

Nick brought him closer and said, "We know. But it'll be alright, you'll see."

Kurt bit his lip. He couldn't believe that he said that out loud.

_Stop it, you're not a baby._

He tried to come up with a reply to reassure them but another window shattered and the roaring of another engine was getting louder.

"Blaine, what are you going to do?" Wes asked warily.

"We need to get closer," Blaine answered calmly. Kurt expected someone to protest but no one did so. He took a glance around and saw solemn nods.

"Here we go again," David sighed, "We're doing crazy things in the name of stupidity." Nick giggled but his expression quickly changed into a frown when the van rolled over a fallen branch.

"Oh shit. Sorry guys," Sebastian said airily as he steadied the steering wheel. No one paid him much attention as a bullet whizzed past Kurt's ear and tore into the back of the leather seat just inches from his face.

Blaine swore under his breath and stuck his upper body out of the opened door.

"Do you need help with those fuckers?" Jeff asked as he looked out of the window.

Twisting back to look out the windscreen, Blaine pursed him lips and said, "Sebastian, there's a cliff up ahead. Keep driving forward but don't kill us. That's a ten story drop."

Making a noise of acknowledgement, Sebastian did not question the strange command.

Turning back to the approaching vehicle, Blaine crouched down on the floor and used a hand to hold himself steady.

"Jeff, bust the left tire when I tell you to."

"Aye, aye, captain."

Everyone held their breaths as the end of the road came to view. Any moment now, they would drive off the edge.

"Blaine-" Thad squeaked from the front but Blaine cut him off, "Not yet."

"But Blaine-"

"Trust me."

Thad snapped his jaw shut and continued to stare straight ahead, his knuckles white from gripping the seat so tightly.

Of course they trusted him. They've known him for almost a decade, and he'd do anything for them, just like they would for him.

There was no questioning it: They trusted each other with their lives.

Holding his hands steady, Blaine breathed, "One."

"Oh God, oh God," Trent whispered but he couldn't tear his eyes away.

"Two."

"Jeff, please don't screw up," David joked humorlessly.

"Three."

Kurt was positive that they had flown off the edge. His heart rose to his throat and everything around him sounded muffled. There was a strange weightlessness around him. For a moment, it was like he was underwater. He vaguely registered a car moving past them and toppling over the edge.

Then everything blasted back to the present and there was a deafening roar in his ears. He flew forward before crashing back against the seat and squeezing his eyes shut.

"…We did it!"

Snapping his eyes open and taking in the commotion around him, Kurt saw pasty faces and a few pairs of teary eyes.

Reaching out to touch the ground around him to make sure that this was real, Kurt felt something inside break.

He was alive. They were alive. So why was he still crying?

"Kurt? Baby, it's okay. It's okay. We've gotten out. We did it," Blaine whispered soothingly as he scrambled over and ran a thumb over those pale cheeks.

"It's okay. It's okay."

"I was scared," Kurt sobbed, "I was scared. I was fucking _terrified_. What if we didn't make it? What if-"

"But we did. Kurt, we're all here. We're still together."

Lifting his head to stare into his husband's eyes, Kurt let out a cry of relief and threw himself forward before wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck fiercely.

Warm hands pressed against his back and Kurt tried to let everything sink in.

_We're still here. We're alright._

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath to calm the pounding of his heart.

_We're okay._

"What happens now?" Kurt asked, his voice muffled by his husband's neck.

"Honestly, I don't really know," Blaine replied. There was a strange lighthearted quality in his voice and everyone groaned.

"But you know what?" he added, "We'll be alright. It may take months or years, but somehow we'll pull through. We can tell everyone how we battled a scary old man, saved a little girl, made a car roll off a cliff and saved our very own asses."

Kurt's breath hitched as he slowly reopened his eyes.

_He's okay._

For many months now, Blaine always looked scared and tired. That was perfectly understandable, but it still worried Kurt. He didn't know what he could do to help, and Blaine kept pushing him away to protect him.

But he was okay.

Kurt couldn't help it. He moved forward and pressed his lips against Blaine's.

For a moment, everything seemed alright.

There were no fights for dominance, just the gentle brushing of their lips together, just a chance for them to _feel_ each other, just a chance for them to tell each other "_I love you_".

They didn't notice the smirks on their friends' faces or the way Nick blushed and turned away to hide his face in Jeff's shirt. It was just them.

It was just _Kurt and Blaine_.

Somewhere far away, someone cleared his throat and Blaine finally withdrew his lips. He threw Sebastian a dirty look but Sebastian simply shrugged.

"Sebastian, I was having a moment with my husband."

"I'm not blind, Blaine. I can see that. But I would just like to know: where are we going?"

Jeff piped up from the corner, "Why don't we just stay in here forever? We can be the Five Gay Men and Four Straights on a Road Trip."

Trent gave him a smack on the head and snorted, "As much as I'd like to stay in your childish and somewhat sexual fantasies, we really need to find some place to…settle down and sort things out."

Jeff opened his mouth but as usual, before he could say anything, the gentle tug on his sleeve stopped him. He looked into Nick's dark eyes and sighed.

"Oh you are so whipped. Seriously, with Niff and Klaine on the road, I might just puke rainbows and unicorns."

Jeff pouted and glared at Sebastian who was sitting in the front.

"I am not whipped."

"Oh trust me Jeffrey, you are. I've seen that look on Blaine's face multiple times whenever I take him shopping with me and Mercedes."

Jeff folded his arms and scowled. There wasn't anything he could say to counter that. Blaine was so tightly wound around Kurt's little finger that he followed Kurt like a puppy even when his feet hurt from grueling eight-hour shopping sprees.

There was a gentle poke on his arm and he saw Nick looking at him with tears in his eyes.

"Nicky? What's wrong?"

"Does that bother you?"

"What?"

"Does being…whipped bother you?"

Jeff's jaw dropped and he threw protective arms over his boyfriend to pull him close.

"No! It's probably the best fucking thing that has ever happened to me."

Kurt rolled his eyes and looked back at Blaine. Straightening himself and adjusting his collar, Blaine said, "Let's head over to my parents' place. We'll figure something out later."

"What?" Sebastian asked, perplexed.

"He means the Hudmels," Wes clarified before folding his arms and closing his eyes to take a nap. Sebastian snorted and gave them a mock salute before starting the car.

Kurt looked out the broken window and saw the trees whizz by. He laid his head on Blaine's shoulder and closed his eyes.

Somewhere at the back of his brain, he still felt that tiny jolt of fear of the things that happened in the darkness. He would remember it forever, and it'll take a long time to get over it.

A hand grabbed his and he felt Blaine rub his thumb over the side of his palm soothingly.

He took a deep breath and felt it. It didn't smell like cologne or other fancy products. It was simply _Blaine_. That was all he needed.

…

When the van stopped in front of that picket fence, Blaine gently nudged Kurt awake. Kurt blinked sleepily for a few moments before his head fell forward and Blaine hurried to catch it.

"Love, we've arrived."

Kurt pushed himself up and nodded blankly before hopping out of the van. He swayed on his feet dangerously but managed to keep his balance before making his way to the porch.

Sebastian swung an arm over Blaine's shoulders and remarked, "I always thought that he was a morning person."

Blaine pushed his arm aside and smiled. Giving Kurt's back a loving glance, he said, "That's only after he gets his coffee." Sebastian rolled his eyes before giving him a teasing grin and hurrying to catch up with Kurt.

Kurt pressed the doorbell and waited. He didn't know why he was nervous.

_Maybe it's because you haven't been home since last Christmas._

Finn's face appeared at the window and he looked around warily, almost as if he was waiting for some sort of ambush. When he saw Kurt, he face broke into a wide smile and he threw the door open.

He opened his mouth but before he could say anything, Kurt warned him sharply, "Don't call me dude."

Rubbing his neck sheepishly, Finn proceeded to pull his brother into a hug.

Kurt froze. His stomach clenched and he felt strangely ill, but he couldn't really remember why. He was just about to take a step back when Blaine appeared in front of him and Finn latched onto him instead.

"Finn…you can let go now," Blaine informed him as he tried to keep his discomfort out of his voice. It wasn't every day that Finn Hudson decides to give Blaine one of his signature bone-crushing hugs. Upon realizing that it was his brother-in-law in his arms, Finn pushed Blaine aside and looked around, perplexed.

"I could have sworn you were standing _behind_ Kurt."

Kurt waved his hand airily and remarked, "You swore off a vegan diet but you continue to eat them because of Rachel. Standing outside of my home is a little strange…May we come in?"

Only then did Finn notice the others and he jumped back in surprise.

"I'm sorry dudes, I didn't see you there. Yeah, sure, come in. Just…keep your mobster friends out."

Kurt raised his eyebrow and mouthed, 'mobster?' and Wes replied, "That's a story for another time."

Finn closed the door behind them and called for Carole and Burt to come down the stairs before throwing himself down on the couch.

"Oh yeah, I told mom and Burt that you and Blaine finally had a kid. Where is she?"

Trent slapped his forehead is exasperation and shook his head. Blaine's jaw dropped in horror as he heard the footsteps coming down the stairs.

Kurt looked around in confusion and exclaimed, "But we don't have a kid!"

Finn's eyes widened and he mumbled, "Whoops."

Jumping out of his seat, Kurt threw his hands in the air and hissed, "What do you mean 'whoops'? What did you tell them?"

Keeping his eyes firmly on the floor, Finn replied guiltily, "I told them I didn't know where the kid came from and she belonged to you."

Kurt could have sworn that he almost tore his hair out in frustration.

"Finn!"

He tried to come up with a logical explanation but it was too late. Burt Hummel had reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey kid, something you wanted to tell me?"

Kurt glared at Finn accusingly and snapped, "Yes. I'd like you to tell Finn to get his facts right before saying things."

"Buft Shebashtian-"

"I didn't say anything about anyone having any children," Sebastian interrupted as Finn tried to defend himself whilst stuffing a bag of chips into his mouth.

Burt looked at Kurt for a moment and sighed, "I don't think I'd want to know. It's good to see you, kid. It's good to have everyone home."

Kurt swallowed and took a deep breath. He tried to open his mouth to speak but the words remained stuck in his throat.

If there was one thing he absolutely hated, it was lying to his father.

He lied his way through middle school and high school, and although it eventually brought him to Blaine, the consequences were still harsh.

But he had to choice; there was no way to tell Burt Hummel that the people in this room had killed two dozen others, whatever their reasons were.

Strong fingers wrapped themselves around his fist and the warm velvety voice penetrated the silence.

"Burt," Blaine explained, "We just need a place to stay for the night. We'll be moving further down south, along with the company."

Burt narrowed his eyes and studied the man in front of him closely.

Something appeared a little strange, but they looked genuinely exhausted.

_We'll deal with it tomorrow_

Burt waved a hand towards the bedrooms and warned, "I'd better not walk in on any funny business."

When Burt turned to look back at Blaine accusingly, Blaine felt a burning heat rise rapidly to his cheeks and he lowered his head.

Sebastian looked between Burt, Kurt and Blaine for a moment before pressing a hand to his mouth to stifle his laughter. Throwing him a dirty look, Kurt turned away from him before remembering about the injury on his leg.

"Dad, is Carole home? Sebastian hurt his leg and we may need to take a look at it."

Frowning in concern, Burt crouched down in front of Sebastian and prodded the wound.

"What happened son?"

"I smacked into something at the garage."

Shaking his head and muttering something about what a blunderbuss Sebastian was, Burt directed him to the kitchen while ushering everyone up to the bedrooms.

As he ascended the stairs, Kurt turned around to look at his father's back.

Everything might have been thrown into a turn, but his father continued to remain a constant in his life.

_You can't let him know what happened._

Chewing his lip nervously, Kurt allowed his husband to lead them to his old bedroom. Looking down at the strong hands around his wrist, he felt a sudden pang in his chest.

_Does lying to someone you desperately want to protect always hurt so badly?_

…

It was dark and Blaine felt the warm body that was nuzzled by his side stir. Opening his eyes reluctantly, he saw Kurt roll over to the other side and whimper.

"Kurt?"

Kurt shot straight up and looked around the room with wide eyes as he breathed heavily.

"My love, it's okay."

Kurt seemed to relax at Blaine's voice and he bit his lip. A few salty tears rolled down his cheeks and he quickly rubbed them away.

"Blaine, I'm fine. Go back to sleep."

Blaine reached out and rubbed Kurt's hand lovingly.

"Kurt, we need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about."

Blaine tried to look into his eyes but Kurt was avoiding him. He sighed and reached over to cup that tear-stained face in his hands.

"Kurt," Blaine spoke soothingly, "We can't avoid this forever."

Pushing his hands away violently, Kurt growled, "I told you: I don't remember, alright? I don't remember what happened. I know that I was locked in there and starved, but apart from that I don't remember anything else. Isn't that a good thing? Isn't it great that I've completely forgotten about everything that happened?"

Grabbing Kurt's shoulders to prevent him from running away, Blaine pleaded, "No, it's not. It's not good that you are trying to _pretend_ that you've forgotten. Kurt, I know you. You can't keep it inside forever. Please baby, please don't do this."

"I told you, I don't-"

"Does it run in our blood?"

"What?"

Taking a deep breath, Blaine explained, "You're doing exactly what I did to you. We promised each other that there would be no more lies. Kurt, I want to help you. I love you. I love you with everything I have and nothing will ever change that."

There was a long pause. The sincerity in those hazel eyes proved too much and Kurt turned away.

"Kurt?"

Kurt buried his face in his hands and whispered, "Why? Why would you still continue to love me? I…I've been tainted, Blaine. I'm dirty. I'm used. I can't-"

"Stop it. Kurt, I'd list down a million reasons why, but that still wouldn't be enough. I love you, Kurt, because of who you are. I love how we can talk without words, I love how you make me look forward to more beautiful tomorrows, I love how you'll never give up on me, I-"

"Blaine, stop it."

"No, I won't. I'll not stop until you can see how truly amazing you are. Kurt, you're not dirty, you're not undeserving of anything. You're gorgeous and you deserve everything good in this world."

Kurt lowered his hands and shuddered. He found himself cuddled up against Blaine as strong arms wrapped themselves around his waist.

The silence was only broken by occasional sobs and soft cooing noises before Kurt whispered, "I couldn't move."

_Those chains tied me to the walls_

"I tried to fight him off…but I couldn't."

_I was too weak  
><em>  
>"I couldn't do anything."<p>

_I called for help, but no one came_

"Kurt…I…I'm sorry."

Pushing himself off Blaine's muscular chest, Kurt shook his head violently. It wasn't Blaine's fault; he didn't know. There wasn't anything he could have done.

It wasn't his fault.

"Then why are you blaming yourself?" Blaine asked.

"Baby please," Blaine begged, "Please let me, let us, help. Kurt, you're not weak. You refused to sacrifice who you truly are just to fit the mold; you stood up against those who tried to push you down. You're still beautiful, and you'll always be. _I_don't deserve you."

"Blaine, stop it. I'm not as amazing as you think I am, and you should stop belittling yourself. I...look, I'm tired. Can we talk tomorrow?"

Blaine opened his mouth to protest but looking at the violet coloring beneath those glasz eyes, he relented and pulled the covers open.

Pulling Kurt down beside him, Blaine wrapped him arms around that slim waist and crossed their legs. Pressing a kiss to the back of his neck, Blaine whispered, "Kurt...I've finally realized that admitting you need help sometimes doesn't make you weak. Sometimes there are things we cannot do alone, but there are people who may be able to help."

Chewing his lower lip, Kurt closed his eyes but he couldn't fall asleep. And judging by the strong grip Blaine kept around him, he stayed awake throughout the night as well.

…

Strong sunlight filtered through the frosted windows and Kurt pressed himself further against his husband's torso.

The air around him was silent but the firm hold around him remained the same.

Staring at the thin layer of snow outside, Kurt touched Blaine's fingers and whispered, "I...I didn't mean to do that to you. I'll try. I promise that I'll try to stop dealing with everything by myself, but we can't tell Dad. I can't do that to him."

Pushing himself off the covers, Blaine pressed a kiss onto Kurt's temple and smiled against the back of his ear.

"Alright. Do you need to talk about it?"

Sighing heavily and sitting up to join Blaine, Kurt pulled the duvet up to their necks and snuggled up against the warm body beside him.

"It still scares me. Sometimes...when I close my eyes..." Kurt tried to explain, "I remember...stuff. It's not a complete image...just bits and pieces of it."

Blaine hummed but remained quiet. He wasn't going to push Kurt for any details; Kurt would talk when he needed to.

His voice dropped and there was a tiny tremor in his shoulders. Staring blankly at the family portrait hanging on the wall in front of him, Kurt confessed, "And sometimes when people reach out to touch me...I see his face instead."

"Baby-"

"Twice, Blaine. He did it twice. I can't forget it. I...I tried to think of him as you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I don't know how I could've done that. You're nothing like him but I-"

"You were just protecting yourself. You didn't do anything wrong."

Footsteps echoed outside the room and Kurt saw a few dark shadows sliding in through the gap beneath the door. There were muffled voices and Blaine thought he heard Sebastian telling everyone to get lost.

When the pounding footsteps faded, Blaine asked, "Do you think we should get some...professional help?"

Frowning in irritation, Kurt snorted, "Blaine, I'm not crazy. I don't need a therapist."

"Of course you're not. We'll help you every step of the way but I just...I think we need some guidance from people who have a better idea of how to help."

Kurt plopped himself back on the pillows and muttered, "Give me some time to think about it."

Before Blaine could give a reply, the door swung open and Finn flew in.

"Oh shit. I swear I remembered to knock!"

Blaine raised his eyebrow in amusement while Kurt groaned and threw the pillow onto his face.

"Finn, go away," he huffed in annoyance.

"Sorry du-Kurt, I can't. We're waiting for you to join us for breakfast."

Blaine swung his legs over the edge and planted his feet on the ground.

"No Blaine, I refuse to move."

Turning to look at him, Blaine hooked his arm under Kurt's knees and placed another behind his back before lifting him up bridal style.

Kurt huffed indignantly but clung on to his husband tightly. Finn just gave them a serene smile as they descended the stairs to the dining room where their family was waiting for them.

...

"Kurt? Are you feeling alright?"

Carole's concerned voice broke through the cacophony and everyone turned to look at him.

Feeling a little intimidated by the stares and attention he was receiving, Kurt lowered his fork and forced himself to smile at the group.

"I'm perfectly fine. Why do you ask?"

Burt took a sip of his diet coke (Kurt had confiscated his box of standard, 200 kilocalories coke) and folded his arms.

"Buddy, you look like death swarmed over. We're not stupid you know."

"Look, you're worrying about nothing. I'm fine. Dad, don't think I didn't see you hiding that broccoli under your plate."

Burt ignored the last statement and continued to look at his son closely, his lips pressed into a thin line as the table remained silent.

"Kid, I'm not gonna lie: you're worrying me. I know that I haven't seen you since last Christmas, but something isn't right."

Blaine looked at Kurt out of the corner of his eye and reached out under the table to hold his hand.

Giving it a comforting squeeze, Blaine looked at his father-in-law in his eyes and said, "We're figuring it out."

The look on his face told Burt not to push any further so Burt simply stuck the fork into his steak and shoved it into his mouth.

Throughout the entire meal, Kurt couldn't bring himself to look at anyone else.

_They're scared for me_

Taking a deep breath, Kurt sat his glass down and pushed his chair back.

"I...I'll be in our bedroom."

No one stopped him from leaving, but he could feel there gazes focused on his back as he left the room.

...

A/N:

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I'm really sorry that this chapter is so late (I'm still at college orientation). Originally I wanted to post the whole chapter but I'm close to 10K words and it's still not done so I'm separating it.

Once again, thank you so much!


	17. Chapter 15 Part 2

**Disclaimer: Glee belongs to Fox**

**Warnings: References to non-con**

Blaine pushed the door open gingerly and stuck his head in. The curtains were closed while his husband was lying face down on the bed.

"Kurt baby, are you alright?"

Kurt didn't lift his face off the pillow even when he felt the mattress sink to accommodate his husband's weight.

"Kurt?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so…"

"There's absolutely nothing to apologize for. Kurt, I've told you, you're amazing."

Kurt twisted his body around and stared at Blaine who was hovering above him.

"I…I'll try talking to someone…But we have to leave soon."

Blaine's eyes appeared to shine exceptionally brightly in the dim light. He looked at Kurt and gently said, "We can ask Carole to introduce us to someone who can help. The Warblers and I will be there every step of the way."

Closing his eyes against the fluffy pillows, Kurt made a small noise of agreement.

"Are…are Dad and Carole doing alright?"

"They're in the living room. Do you want to talk to them?"

Rolling off the edge of the bed, Kurt gave him an uncertain nod.

He didn't know what he was going to say, but he had to figure something out.

…

"So when do you have to leave?" Burt asked them as he hunched forward when his arms resting against his knees.

"We'll have to go after lunch. Burt, sir, we have to change our contact numbers because the service provider doesn't work in that region, but we'll call you when we get there," Wes lied smoothly.

Kurt held his breath. He hoped that his father's lack of technological knowledge would allow them to slip through.

Burt didn't seem to question the explanation but a strange sadness rose to his sinking cheeks.

"I told you to call me Burt," he told them, "And…when will I see you again?"

Kurt held the cushion tightly.

He had to be the one to answer this question; Burt was his father, and it seemed like they had to be separated again.

"We…" he began, "We don't know. Dad, I'll try to visit you as frequently as possible, but Blaine will be staying down south for a…long time and I'd like to go with him."

Burt nodded jerkily but he didn't say anything else. Leaning back against the cushion, he flicked the television on.

Carole and Finn, who had remain silent throughout the conversation, fidgeted in their seats.

Blaine exchanged a look with Kurt and turned to face Carole.

Clearing his throat, Blaine asked, "Carole, do you happen to know a…therapist from the hospital you work at?"

"Is everything alright? Did something happen?"

Trying to keep his uneasiness from showing, Blaine replied, "I…I just know someone who has been… assaulted," Kurt tensed, "and I'd like to introduce him to someone who can help."

Finn, Burt and Carole's jaws dropped and if not for the seriousness of the situation, Kurt would have laughed at their shocked expressions.

They didn't notice the way Nick slipped his hand into Kurt's to hold it tightly, or the way the ex-Warblers adverted their gazes.

"Blaine," Carole cried, "that's terrible! I do know someone who might be able to help, but she has moved to the private sector."

"That's perfectly fine."

"Give me a moment. I'll go look for her number."

As she scurried out of the living room to find her contact book, Blaine allowed his tensed shoulders to drop and he let out a breath he did not know he was holding.

He didn't notice the way Burt's gaze flickered over to him, or the way Finn remained silent even when the Buckeyes lost to the Crimson Tides.

…

The waiting room was painted pale yellow and a brightly colored flower pot sat on the counter. Kurt tried to remain still in his seat as he looked around, spotting a row of magazines and children's books along the walls. A middle-aged lady sat behind a nameplate that had the name JANICE printed in big, bold letters. She was busy shuffling through a stack of papers and hadn't looked up for the past fifteen minutes.

"Baby," Blaine said softly from the armchair beside his, "it'll be fine."

Kurt was about to come up with a retort when the door opened and an elderly nurse called his name. Blaine gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze as he slowly made his way towards the door with Doctor Florence's nameplate on it.

Stepping through the doorway, Kurt found his feet planted on lightly colored wooden floors. He took a step back. The clicking of footsteps on wood sounded awfully familiar.

_Don't think about it._

A gentle looking brunette woman waved to him from a maroon armchair as she stood up to greet him.

"Good morning Mister Anderson-Hummel. I'm Ruby Florence. Would you like to take a seat?"

Her voice wasn't too loud, but it wasn't so soft such that he had to strain his ears. There was a strange calming quality in her voice, and Kurt felt his erratic heartbeat slow down.

He cautiously lowered himself onto the armchair opposite hers and crossed his legs, forcing himself to smile even though every fiber in his body wanted him to leave.

"May I offer you anything to drink?"

"Just water would be fine."

Kurt watched as Doctor Florence stood up and strode over to a mini fridge underneath a tastefully decorated desk.

"I hope you don't mind Evian's mineral water."

Kurt kept a wary eye on her as she filled two glasses and passed one to him.

_What is she going to do?_

His last visit to the therapist was almost twenty years ago when his father brought him in after Elizabeth's passing. He didn't remember much about that time, but he knew that he didn't like it.

Being labelled the 'loony kid' at elementary school wasn't any fun either (although his father later marched up to the principal's office to deliver a verbal smack down for the teachers present).

"That's a very nice vest you're wearing. Is it Peter Millar's?"

Kurt choked and coughed several times to clear his airway as he stared at her in bewilderment.

"Oh, don't look so surprised. I wanted to major in fashion but changed my career choices in the final year of high school," she remarked patiently.

"Why?" Kurt asked before he could stop himself.

Doctor Florence simply smiled and rested her hands on her lap.

"Well, apart from the fact that it's a very wide field, I like to understand human behaviors, actions and interactions. I guess fashion is my interest, but this is where my home is."

Kurt took another tiny sip of water to soothe the burning sensation in his throat and set the glass down on the coffee table.

"I overheard Janice saying that there's another very good looking man who came with you. Who is he?"

Kurt hesitated for a moment. He was no longer in high school, and a marriage equality bill had been passed, but there were still a significant number of people who opposed to it.

"He's…my husband."

Doctor Florence simply nodded in approval and picked the clipboard off the table.

"It's very nice of him to accompany you."

"He's the one who encouraged me to get some…help."

She looked at him and leaned forward slightly, her clipboard balancing precariously just above her knees.

"Kurt," she began, "there's no need for us to go into details if you don't want to. Ultimately, the main goal here is for me to help you overcome whatever troubles you're facing. We'll be working together, but we can work things out according to your beliefs."

Kurt unclenched his clammy fingers and nodded stiffly. Truth to be told, he wanted to get out _now._ The thought of someone he didn't really know tapping into his mind, uncovering things he would never tell others was a little unnerving.

"So," he asked warily, "how does this work?"

Doctor Florence tapped the tip of her pen on the clipboard as a gentle warmth rose to her cerulean eyes.

"Why don't you tell me more about your husband or your family?"

"They're more than I could ever ask for. They stuck by me in spite of my differences and they've helped me accept myself."

"And how have they taken the news?"

Kurt struggled to find the right words to say. A dark fog swirled somewhere at the back of his brain, but he refused to let it out.

Even though he'd lost control of many things, this was one thing he could take charge of.

_Kurt Anderson-Hummel, you're a man and you should act like one. What can you do if you can't even control your emotions?_

"They…they're making a big deal out of nothing."

_No they aren't._

_**Shut up.**_

_Then stop lying to yourself._

_**I'm not. I'm not lying to myself.**_

_How long do you think you can keep this up?_

"I'm…I'm fine. I don't see why they have to worry themselves over nothing. I don't see why they can't just let things go back to the way they were."

"Kurt," Doctor Florence asked tenderly, "do you feel…cautious around people? Do you flinch at sudden contact?"

"Yes," Kurt replied, "But I've always been a jumpy person. I just want them to let it go. Why can't we just let things slide? It's _my_ problem, and they shouldn't be dragged into it."

She interlocked her fingers and rested her chin on them as she leaned over her knees.

"Do you blame yourself?"

"I…I was too weak. I'm still too weak. I should've fought him off, but I didn't. And even now, I still need people around me because I can't take care of myself."

"Why don't you tell me about the times you managed to accomplish something even though you were afraid? It doesn't need to be something big; it can be as simple as owning up to a mistake."

Kurt swallowed loudly.

_There's nothing._

"We can start with high school. What activities did you join there?"

"I was in the glee club," Kurt told her before he could stop himself.

"That's amazing! I've always wanted to join but I couldn't sing, at all," Doctor Florence commented with a chuckle.

"We were at the bottom of the food chain. Being in the glee club was basically social suicide."

She raised a brow in surprise and drummed her fingers against her chin as she studied him curiously.

"Then…why did you decide to join it?"

"I love to sing. My voice is…unique, and I was one of the few who were taunted for actually wearing something apart from those pieces of cloth you find at Walmart, but the glee club gave me opportunities to utilise it."

"There you have it," Doctor Florence remarked with a snap of her fingers, "You joined it despite the difficulties you'd face because it's something you wanted to do. That, Mister Kurt Anderson-Hummel, takes courage."

"I think 'stupidity' would be more appropriate," Kurt deadpanned.

"There's a fine line between foolishness and bravery, and refusing to sacrifice your true self because of others calls for respect. How did your family take it?"

Pondering on that question for a few seconds, Kurt sighed, "I gave my dad a heart attack in the second year of high school. I don't think that says very much about my supposed bravery."

"How did you deal with it?"

"There wasn't much I could do. My mother passed away a long time ago so I just did what everyone ought to do: take care of the house, get some work done in the garage and try to help my dad, even though I probably annoyed him more than anything else."

"So," Doctor Florence observed with a tiny hint of wonder in her voice, "you juggled school, household chores, a garage and caring for your father on top of other things you had to deal with."

_Well…I guess I did._

Kurt nodded after a contemplative pause and scratched his wrist nervously.

"Honey, you have to give me some tips. I have no idea how you did it but you definitely have my respect."

He blushed and lowered his head. She was the second person apart from Blaine who gave him way too much credit.

"Kurt, why don't we try talking back to it?"

"What do you mean?"

She smiled and explained, "Whenever a tiny voice in your head tells you something negative, we can try to come up with something to counter it. For example, if it says something like 'You suck', try telling it 'I'm wonderful and lovable. I have a gorgeous face and a hot husband'."

Kurt's jaw dropped and he stared at her before a giggle rose to his throat and he had to suck his cheeks to stop himself from laughing.

"I think you'll get the hang of it very quickly. Would you like to try going back to the time things happened?"

The air froze.

_**No. It's over, for fuck's sake let it go.**_

_You're just scared to think about it._

_**Why do they have to keep reminding me? I don't know anything. I don't remember. I don't-**_

_You do._

"Kurt?"

He jerked and found an acidic taste rise rapidly up his oesophagus as he toppled over the bin.

The stench of vomit stung and tears rose to his eyes.

_**Fuck this.**_

"I can't."

"Kurt-"

"Please," he begged, "can we please talk about this some other time? I promise I'll come better prepared."

Doctor Florence didn't appear upset at all. She simply whispered, "Okay" before scribbling something on the clipboard and handing the slip of paper to Kurt.

"I'll prescribe some medication for you. You may collect it from Janice."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

He stood up but just as his fingers touched the cool doorknob, a patient voice drifted through the tensed air.

"Kurt, I'll be here if you ever need someone to talk to. My mobile number is on that slip of paper."

Flipping the rectangular sheet around, Kurt saw the careful cursive writing printed at the back. It was a simple seven digit number, but he committed it to memory.

Twisting around to look at her, he repeated it once more.

"Thank you."

This time, Doctor Florence didn't give a verbal reply. She simply smiled at him and lifted a tanned hand to give him a tiny wave.

…

"Blaine Anderson-Hummel?"

"That would be me."

Doctor Florence stood aside to let him into the room. Reaching for the fridge once again, she asked, "Would you like to have some water as well?"

"Yes please."

"You're just like your husband. I expected the both of you to be coffee people."

Blaine accepted the tiny glass and set it carefully down onto the table.

"We haven't been in the mood for much coffee lately."

Crossing her right leg over her left elegantly, Doctor Florence hummed in acknowledgement.

"What would you like to ask me?"

Blaine looked at her in surprise and found himself momentarily speechless.

"How do you know?"

"Blaine, your questions are written quite clearly on your face. There's no need to rush, but everything you say in here will be strictly confidential, so please don't hesitate to ask."

Taking a deep breath, Blaine rubbed his hands nervously and tried to keep the stutter out of his voice.

_Don't let them see that you're afraid_

"This is going to sound strange," he tried to explain, "but I'm worried about Kurt."

When he stopped for a few seconds, Doctor Florence reminded him patiently, "Blaine, you can take your time."

"I…I don't get why he's so _calm_."

He glanced at her for a moment to study her reaction, but when the same patient look remained, he continued, "He should be freaking out. He should be…I don't know what I expect him to do…but he shouldn't be like _this_."

"I know he's scared. I know that he's terrified but I don't understand why he doesn't show it. How am I supposed to help if I don't even know how he's really feeling?"

"Blaine," she explained, "Everyone reacts differently to trauma, and people have different coping mechanisms. Some may have continuing anxiety, some might be able to do nothing but relive what happened over and over again. Others, on the other hand, might suppress it."

"Not all rape survivors show their emotions. Kurt may appear calm and try to return to his life as if nothing happened. It may seem that he has gotten over it, but the issue has yet to be resolved."

Pressing his fist to his lips, Blaine looked at the glass on the table and tried to clear his head.

"What can I do?"

"Be there for him," she suggested, "Let him know that there are people who are standing by him. The underground stage may last for a few days to several years, and he may appear perfectly fine or he may break down, but be there for him. Don't give up."

"I'll never leave him."

There was absolutely no hesitation. If there was one thing Blaine was certain of, it was that he would never abandon Kurt, just like Kurt would always be there for him.

"But while you're looking out for him," Doctor Florence cautioned, "don't forget about yourself. You're human and there are times you need to rest. If there is anything you'd like to know, I'm always here."

Blaine lowered his hand and studied the lady in front of him.

They weren't alone. There was someone who could help them, who could help Kurt.

Everything could get _better_.

"Doctor Florence?"

"Yes Blaine?"

"Thank you."

…

Kurt jerked awake in the darkness and felt tiny droplets of cold sweat roll down the side of his face. The body behind him stirred and he bit his lip.

_Not again_

"Kurt?" Blaine sleepy voice asked from somewhere behind him, "Is everything alright?"

"…"

"Kurt?"

"I don't know."

Blaine immediately reached over to flick the light on.

"Baby?"

Kurt's face was pressed against the pillow as his shoulders trembled. Blaine brushed a hand over his arm but Kurt immediately jerked away, crying out in panic as if he had been burnt. He scrambled to his back and pressed himself against the headrest, his arms wrapped around his legs protectively as he tried to make himself as small as possible.

"Please don't touch me."

"Kurt-"

"_Go away_."

His voice was so tiny and there was no bite to it. There was no hiding it; he was fucking terrified and for the first time, he couldn't hide it any longer. Blaine racked his brains. He had to do _something _but there wasn't anything he could do. His phone was in the living room, but he couldn't leave Kurt alone.

Heavy breathing and wheezing broke him out of his thoughts as his husband hunched over and gripped his chest tightly. He was coughing violently, but Blaine couldn't touch him.

_Panic attack_

"Kurt, sweetheart, you need to breathe. Kurt, please, it's me. It's Blaine."

_Leave me alone. Leave me alone. Leave me alone._

Something touched him. It wasn't rough, but something cool touched his neck and Kurt screamed.

He couldn't stop. Something was blocking his vision and everything around him was blurred. Air was being sucked out of the room, and he was positive that someone was suffocating him.

_I'm going to die. I'm going to die._

With all his strength, Kurt pushed the hand away and scrambled to his knees.

_I've got to get away_

He didn't know what he was doing, but he tried to crawl away and felt himself topple over the edge. His shoulders crashed against the tiles and he cried out in pain.

"…Kurt!"

_Blaine_

The fog cleared and a tanned face came to view. His hazel eyes were wide with fear and one arm was extended but Blaine didn't touch him.

Curly strands stuck to his face and beads of sweat rolled down to his chin.

"Kurt, you're okay."

He felt sick. Turning to the side, Kurt gripped the mattress for support as he dry heaved over the carpeted floor.

His body was shaking and something was crushing his chest, but in the midst of that fear, the knowledge that Blaine was close-by provided some comfort.

"My love?"

The door swung open and Kurt saw a few pairs of feet standing at the doorway. Opening his mouth, Kurt gave a desperate cry.

Somewhere, someone had shouted Blaine's name, but he couldn't be certain if that noise came from him or someone else.

There wasn't time to think. Darkness grew from the edge and he soon found himself engulfed in darkness.

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading! And thank you for the reviews!**


	18. Chapter 15 Part 3

**Disclaimer: Glee belongs to Fox**

**Warnings: Cheesiness**

* * *

><p><em>Kurt<em>

Blaine watched as his husband pressed himself against the cupboards and stopped struggling. Nick stood by the side, horrified as he saw his best friend fall to pieces.

"Should…should we call an ambulance?"

Trent looked between Kurt and Blaine and asked, "What if it freaks him out even more?"

"Shut up shitheads. He's coming back," Sebastian snarled as he eyed Kurt cautiously.

_This is it_

The man who usually held himself so confidently now resembled a little boy who was deathly terrified of something, but had no way to protect himself. He simply curled up in the corner, his fear out in the open for all to see.

"Sweetheart?"

_That's the voice_

He could never forget his husband's voice: it had the color of oak with a hint of the bitter-sweet taste of coffee.

It's the voice of the man who told him that prejudice was just ignorance, the man who came up to him and offered to dance with him despite his fears during prom.

The images slowly swirled into place as Kurt reached out and his fingertips came into contact with a strong arm covered with tiny cuts only noticeable when one ran his fingers across.

Gentle fingers brushed over his forearms and Kurt expected himself to jerk away, but he didn't. A warm feeling at the pit of his stomach told him that there was no need to be afraid, that this was _safe_ even though the tightness in his throat remained.

Despite the way his shoulders remained tensed, the way his fists continued to stay clenched, and the way his lips were dotted with blood from biting down on them too hard, a simple touch provided him a sense of _home_.

The shadows that surrounded him gradually faded, until only one stood in front of him.

Blaine quietly instructed the rest to leave as he remained at an arm's length away. This was the first time he had ever witnessed a panic attack, and to be honest, he didn't quite know what to do. Sending Kurt to the hospital seemed like the most logical solution, but he wasn't about to thrust his husband back into a world of sterilized rooms, doctors, needles and _hurt _so soon.

His voice was barely above a whisper, but to Blaine, it rang as clearly as a bell.

He didn't know how to explain it; these simple words lightened the crushing weight on his shoulders, but added to the dull ache in his chest as well.

"Blaine…"

"Shh…it's alright."

They held their breaths as they watched Kurt drop his head into his hands.

No one spoke until Kurt broke the silence.

"_Help_."

* * *

><p><em>I'm crazy<em>

This concept made no sense to him, but Kurt felt absolutely no regret admitting his exhaustion out loud.

Perhaps it would make him seem weak, perhaps it would make him appear spoilt, but he couldn't go on like this.

Blaine slowly inched towards him and gently traced his fingers over Kurt's. Looking down at those ice-cold hands, he whispered, "Can I hold you?"

Kurt didn't make any comment, but he rested his head on his husband's shoulders and felt a pair of arms gingerly find their way around his waist.

He took a deep breath and tilted his head to the side, his gaze locking on their wedding photograph resting on the vanity.

As his fingers found themselves entangled in the fabric of Blaine's pyjamas, Blaine's hold on him tightened.

The air around him was quiet, save for the shuffling of feet outside the partially closed door. Kurt closed his eyes. His eyes stung, but he was too tired to stop the tears. And besides, this was Blaine, the one person he could fall apart in front of (although until today, he had been trying his best not to).

Blaine began humming quietly and Kurt could feel the vibration of his larynx at the back of his head. It was oddly soothing, and he soon found himself sitting in Blaine's lap as Blaine slowly rocked them back and forth.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but eventually Blaine fell silent.

"Kurt?"

"…Yes?"

"Is it alright if we call Doctor Florence?"

"…"

Kurt slowly reopened his eyes to reveal balls of glasz tinted with a faint shade of red from crying.

_You can't do this alone_

That thought made him feel weak, but he knew that it was the truth. There was only so much one could do alone, and he needed someone.

Blaine would always be there for him, but even then, there were limitations.

"Can we call her later? I can't do that right now."

The way Kurt's voice hitched and shook should have made him worried but on the contrary, Blaine found himself smiling weakly in relief.

He didn't know if thing will improve quickly, or if everything will go downhill instead, but what else could they do?

"Of course we can."

Blaine felt Kurt nuzzle his face against his shoulders as he began to rub Kurt's back slowly.

_I can still show him that I'll be there_

"Kurt?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm always here, and I'll always love you."

* * *

><p>It was still dark outside. The medication made things a little foggy, and on some days he felt worse than the rest, but there were good days as well.<p>

Sadly, today was not one of them.

He was lying awake in the darkness, the covers crumpled up beneath him but he couldn't find the strength to rearrange it.

Staring at the opposite wall, he tried to close his eyes and block the memory out, but it wasn't working.

_I was reaching for a glass when David dropped by. He decided to help but when stretch his arm over, I- _

_**Flashback**_

"Fuck. Kurt, I'm sorry!"

The glass lay shattered by his feet but Kurt was holding his arms protectively around himself, trying to get his erratic heartbeat under control.

"Kurt, what happened?"

Kurt took a few deep breaths as he lowered himself onto the floor to pick the broken pieces up.

"Kurt, stop. You'll hurt yourself," Jeff cautioned as he stood by Nick a few steps away. Kurt froze, his shoulders so tensed that they could see the wrinkles on his shirt.

"Kurt?"

"Just let me clean this up."

Wes stepped forward and took the cloth off the table. Sweeping the broken pieces into the dustpan, he made sure not to touch Kurt as Blaine lowered himself beside him.

Kurt simply stared blankly at the tiles before pushing himself off the floor. The ex-Warblers stepped aside to let him through, but they continued to watch him as he disappeared up the stairs and into the bedroom.

_**End flashback**_

Blaine didn't bother knocking on the door when he walked in. He sat on the chair beside the bed, careful not to startle the exhausted man lying haphazardly on the covers.

There was a long pause before Kurt asked brokenly, "When will it be over?"

"Kurt, I know that it seems like it's taking forever, but we'll get there."

Kurt sighed and slowly pushed himself up but his posture remained guarded.

"I…I don't get it. It has been three months but I still…I get scared whenever someone grabs me, I still can't get any decent sleep, I still-"

"Hey," Blaine cut across gently, "It has only been three months. Kurt, things may not get better immediately, but they will. You've already made really amazing progress."

Kurt shook his head and continued to keep his eyes on his fingernails.

_He's just saying it to make me feel better_

"I'm serious. Look, when Jeff touched your shoulder during dinner yesterday you didn't jump; when David and Sebastian were having that fighting match three days ago you managed to remain relatively calm."

"Right, as if huddling up against the cushion, as if acting like such a weakling makes me 'calm'."

"Kurt…Some things may take a longer time to get better, and maybe things will never be the same, but there will definitely be improvements. Don't lose hope."

Closing his eyes and letting his shoulders relax, Kurt sighed, "I know, but it's still…tiring."

"Hey, we can help you carry some of that load."

Kurt raised his head and looked at Blaine. The room was silent for a moment before he chuckled weakly, "You're still a hopeless romantic."

Slowly moving over but remaining a few inches apart, Blaine replied, "I'm your hopeless romantic."

Kurt took a deep breath and reached over. He interlocked their fingers and held it up to the dim light.

The silence in the room remained, but it was far from uncomfortable. Kurt studied their fingers, like he was trying to remember the way their hands fitted together and the positions of the deep lines in Blaine's palm.

Looking at his husband, a great rush of _sadness_ washed over him.

_Why did this have to happen?_

Taking a deep breath, Blaine whispered, "I love you. Nothing will ever change that. Things will definitely get better in the end, and if it doesn't get better, it's not the end."

Kurt swatted his hand aside and tried to sound a little happier than he really was.

"Gosh, how can I ever beat that?"

"You don't have to. I like being the romantic one."

Moving a little closer to close the gap between them, Kurt whispered, "Blaine?"

"Hmm…?"

"Don't ever leave me, okay?"

Lifting his hand to brush across Kurt's slightly sunken cheeks, Blaine replied, "I'll always be by your side."

Their eyes locked and Kurt lowered his head onto Blaine's shoulder. Blaine's arms had just found themselves around his waist when the door flew open and he jumped back in shock.

Jeff stuck his head in and quickly slammed the door shut. From the other side of the door, they could hear Jeff's muffled voice.

"I swear I didn't see anything. Okay, maybe I did, but it wasn't on purpose! I just wanted to-"

"Jeff," Blaine interjected, "we weren't doing anything. What do you want?"

Opening the door warily, the boy with half a head of blonde hair stepped inside and quietly closed the door.

"We…We just wanted to know if you're alright."

"Jeff," Kurt said with a faint smile, "I'm fine. Tell David to stop feeling bad about it; it's not his fault."

Jeff studied him and his face broke into a radiant smile.

"That's cool. We're really sorry for scaring you. I swear we're working on it."

Kurt shrugged and was about to give a reply when he caught sight of a pair of polished black shoes on Jeff's feet.

"Jeff, what are you doing?"

Jeff shot up in alarm, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly.

Blaine planted his feet on the floor and lifted an eyebrow.

"Jeff, spit it out. What are you doing?"

"I…I…"

"Yes?"

Jeff finally relented and looked at the ground awkwardly.

"I just…I'm not very good at repairing cars yet."

Kurt scrunched his nose up in confusion and looked at Jeff expectantly.

"Well, I need your help in fixing one of the fancier cars," Jeff mumbled as a blush rose to his cheeks.

Running a hand through his dark curls, Blaine frowned and asked, "Why? Didn't we fix the truck two days ago?"

Jeff bit his lip and made a strange noise but neither Blaine nor Kurt could decipher it. Jeff could feel their curious stares and after a little struggle, he confessed, "I'm thinking of bringing us out for a picnic…or something…I thought we could use a little fresh air. I think Nick needs some time out as well."

Kurt's jaw dropped and he smiled.

"Jeff, that's really sweet! We'll definitely help!"

Giving him an encouraging pat on the back, Blaine extended a hand and looked at Kurt. There was a barely noticeable moment of hesitation, but he reached out to take Blaine's hand.

Blaine still had that look on his face: the look that told the world that Kurt was the most beautiful person he had ever set his eyes on.

Blaine slowly led them out of the room, and Kurt turned back to give Jeff an encouraging wave before turning back to face his husband.

They disappeared out the doorway and Jeff could hear the echo of their footsteps on the stairs.

He continued to stand on the carpet awkwardly, not really knowing what was going on.

A tiny hiss came from somewhere behind him and he turned around to see David and Sebastian hiding behind the door.

"What are you guys doing out of bed so early?"

David gave him a strange look of amusement before turning to Sebastian and they made kissy noises at each other.

Trying not to blush, Jeff shoved them on the shoulders as he strutted past them.

"Hey Jeff-" David called.

"Wallace," Sebastian interrupted, "His name is Wallace now, you dickhead. Jeff's 'dead', remember? Everyone else but Kurt no longer exists."

David scrunched his nose up in disgust and pouted, "I don't get how he came up with that name. I'm Humphrey. How the hell did I end up with the name _Humphrey_?"

Biting back a laugh, Jeff gave them a tiny wave and followed Kurt and Blaine down the stairs to the garage.

"Sebastian?"

"Yes Mister Humphrey Winters?"

Throwing him an irritated glare, David continued, "I can't believe Tristan left his place and shop to us. I can't believe we managed to get past the Hudmels by telling them that we _relocated_. I mean, if you look at it, our lives have been pretty good."

"Well yeah, apart from the occasional trips to the ER and death threats," Sebastian replied sarcastically.

When David pursed his lips and continued to look at him, Sebastian cleared his throat and added, "But yes, we've had a good life. Never would I have dreamed of living with nine men, but I'm not complaining. Besides, I don't think I can live without it."

David chuckled and shook his head fondly.

"You're right. I can't live without it either. It's crazy, but I need you irritating dudes around."

Both of them shared a look before turning away to study the room.

They needed this. They needed each other.

"You know what? It's too early to be awake. I'm going back to bed. Good night crabby pants."

"That joke got boring a long time ago, _Humphrey_."

"Shut up."

They were more than companions or friends; they were a family.

There was still a long way to go, but somehow things will work out.

They had each other, and that was all they needed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Thank you so much for reading! And I can't thank you enough for the reviews! This is my second fanfic, ever, and I made a ton of mistakes, but thank you for your patience.

And I'm also really grateful for anyone who has given me feedback or pointers for improvement. I'm wishing all of you the very best in whatever you do! It's time to get my glasses on and get back to studying and homework after a 4-month break.


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